Nude in a Cane Chair 1911

Rik Wouters made this drawing of a nude in a cane chair, probably in the early 20th century, using charcoal or graphite. The network of marks, the layering and smudging, show Wouters thinking through his process in real time. The first thing that gets me is the texture, that powdery softness of the charcoal. It’s like he’s not just drawing what he sees, but also feeling his way through the form. Look at the way he renders the figure's torso with such depth, and then compare it to the cane chair which dissolves into scribbled lines. See how the chair arm extends out of the picture plane, asserting the flatness of the image. Drawing is about constructing ways of seeing, isn't it? Wouters reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker who, around the same time, was also trying to find a new language for depicting the female form. Art is, after all, one big conversation. These artists were always pushing, always questioning, always leaving room for ambiguity.