Nude of a crouching boy 1935

Richard Martin Werner drew this “Nude of a crouching boy” with pencil on paper, at some point in his career. It's all about line and form here, and you can really feel the artist working through the shapes, figuring out the pose. Look at the way the pencil marks build up, especially around the shadows on the torso and legs. It’s like Werner is mapping the contours of the body with these tiny, repetitive strokes. There is a palpable sense of searching, as if he’s discovering the form as he goes. The lines aren't precious or overly refined, they have a raw, immediate quality. In some ways the rendering of the head is the most interesting aspect of the piece. The hatching across the boy's face almost seems like a mask. Is Werner trying to tell us something more about the psychology of his subject? Artists like Schiele come to mind, who also used line in such a way that it conveyed psychological states, not just physical forms. This drawing invites you to contemplate the relationship between the seen and unseen, the body and the soul.