Dans le hall 1916

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen made "Dans le hall" with crayon or graphite, and the way he layered the marks, it’s like he’s feeling out the shapes as much as drawing them. I love the surface texture, you can see how the crayon catches on the paper, creating a kind of gritty atmosphere. And the pressure he applies, especially in the arching roof, gives the image real depth. The strokes there read as incredibly architectural, but the looseness of the hatching softens the effect. Look how the marks accumulate in the crowd of people, it’s a beautiful contrast to the clean lines of the architecture, and emphasizes the energy of the space. You get a sense of how Steinlen may have felt about being in that hall. It’s like a Vuillard painting in a way, capturing a fleeting moment with such care. It suggests that even the busiest, most chaotic scenes hold a kind of beauty, waiting to be noticed.