Woman in Rocker (recto) 1942

Franz Kline dashed this image, "Woman in Rocker," onto paper with ink, and it’s a great example of mark-making economy. Just a few strokes, and bam, you have a whole mood. I can imagine Kline, maybe in a dimly lit room, quickly capturing the essence of the figure before him. What was she thinking? Kline’s bold lines seem to suggest something about the sitter's character. The stark contrast between the black ink and the bare paper creates a sense of immediacy, as though the drawing has been pulled straight from the artist's mind, or from life. Look at the way he suggests the form with just a few lines, how the line gives way to shadow! It reminds me a little of Goya, but much more raw. This kind of work is all about feeling, about trying to find what matters most when communicating a sense of place, character, feeling. It’s like a visual haiku, where every stroke counts.