Aicha 1917

This is Aicha by Théophile Alexandre Steinlen. It's a drawing that looks like it might have been made with crayon or charcoal, and you can see how Steinlen uses hatching to create a sense of shadow around the figure. You know, looking at it, I imagine Steinlen, in his studio, probably thinking about how to capture the softness of the body. It's not about perfection, but about getting that feeling of flesh and weight just right. He would have been thinking about the tradition of nude painting while also trying to do something new. The dark lines around the body and in the hair, they’re full of feeling; I can almost sense Steinlen’s hand moving across the paper as he is creating the marks. Making art is an ongoing conversation between artists across time, a big group chat where we inspire each other. Ultimately it reminds us that painting is about expression and connection.