Aaron, from Titus Andronicus 1981

Edwin Austin Abbey made this drawing of Aaron from Titus Andronicus with ink on paper. I love the immediacy of drawings like this – you can really feel the artist working through his ideas. The hatching is so confident and expressive. Look at the way he uses dense, short lines to build up the shadows around Aaron's face and torso, and then longer, more fluid lines to describe the drapery. The texture of the paper itself becomes part of the drawing, adding another layer of visual interest. It's almost like Abbey is sculpting with ink, using the varying weights of the lines to create a sense of volume and depth. There's a directness to this drawing that reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz, though maybe with a bit more theatrical flair. It's like we're catching a glimpse of the artist in the act of creation. Drawings like this are about the process.