Nude Figure Standing and Holding Her Ankle 1934

This is a pencil drawing, made in 1934 by the German artist Gerhard Marcks. It shows a standing figure, bending over to hold their ankle. I can imagine Marcks, quickly sketching, trying to capture the essence of the pose with as few lines as possible. The figure is off-balance, a little precarious. There is a sense of movement, as if the figure is about to shift into a new position. You know, drawing is such a revealing activity - like, the artist is right there, in every stroke. You can see them thinking. This drawing reminds me of other artists who were interested in the human form, like Matisse or Picasso, but Marcks brings his own unique sensibility to it. The lines are simple and direct, but they convey a sense of weight and volume. The figure feels solid, even though it is made up of just a few marks on paper. It’s so cool how artists continue this conversation, across time, each one riffing on what came before.