Two Figures in a Landscape 1943

Milton Avery sketched "Two Figures in a Landscape" with pen on paper, capturing a scene with minimal, yet expressive strokes. Looking at this, I imagine Avery, notebook in hand, quickly trying to capture a fleeting moment. See how the lines are almost nervous, scratchy? It's like he's thinking through the pen, trying to find the essence of the figures and the landscape with as few marks as possible. You can feel the immediacy, the artist’s hand at work, deciding what to keep and what to leave out. Avery always had a way of simplifying forms, of finding the emotional core of a scene, just like Matisse. This sketch feels like a precursor to his paintings, a way of thinking through color and space with the humble pen. And, you know, this makes me think about how artists are always in conversation, borrowing and building on each other's ideas across time. It is a beautiful, ongoing exchange.