Stockings c. 1936

Melita Hofmann made this drawing of stockings with pencil on paper, but it’s not dated. What strikes me is how the simplicity of the medium – pencil on paper – contrasts with the complexity of the patterns on the stockings. It’s almost like Hofmann is saying, "I can create worlds with the simplest of tools." The lines are delicate, almost hesitant, yet they build up to create a sense of volume and texture, especially in the heel of the stocking. You can see where Hofmann has gone over certain areas again and again, building up the shadows and giving the stocking a sense of weight. It reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin's drawings, in that they're both so minimal, yet so full of feeling. Hofmann's choice to focus on such an everyday object is also interesting. It’s as if she’s inviting us to see the beauty in the mundane, to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. It’s a reminder that art can be found anywhere, even in the simple act of drawing a pair of stockings.