Study for a ‘Matrimonial Speculation’ 1990

Edwin Austin Abbey made this sketch, Study for a ‘Matrimonial Speculation’, with ink on paper. Look at the scratchy marks, those rapid lines! It's like Abbey was thinking with the ink, letting the scene emerge from a flurry of gestures. I imagine him, sleeves rolled up, brow furrowed, trying to capture the nuances of this social dance. He must have wanted to get a sense of the room. The little stage in which people perform for each other. The figures are quickly rendered, yet each has a distinct presence. It makes me think of Daumier's drawings. There is a similar interest in human comedy and social observation. How do you create the idea of a crowd of people with such few means? These lines, they aren't just describing; they're feeling. It reminds me that artists are always in conversation, riffing off each other, adding their own voices to the mix. So much is done with so little. It’s a reminder of the power of suggestion, how a few well-placed marks can evoke a whole world.