Portrait de Gilberte Lallée 1918

Henri Matisse made this portrait of Gilberte Lallée with a pencil, and a light touch. Look at how the lines are so tentative and searching, like he’s feeling his way around her form. That’s how making art is, sometimes, a process of discovery. I love the texture that comes from the graphite on paper, a bit smudged, a bit scratchy. There's a real economy to the marks, he’s saying so much with so little. Focus on the way he renders her eyes – just a few strokes, but they convey so much expression. They're large and prominent, and seem to look right through you, don't they? This drawing reminds me a bit of Picasso’s line drawings. Both artists have this incredible ability to capture the essence of a subject with incredible simplicity. Art’s an ongoing conversation, right? A back and forth of ideas across generations. And like any good conversation, it's open to interpretation. What do *you* see in this portrait?