Stående model 1914 - 1915

Karl Isakson made this drawing, Stående model, with graphite on paper. You know, it's like Isakson was thinking aloud with his pencil, feeling his way around the form of the model. I can almost see him squinting, trying to capture the essence of the figure with as few lines as possible. He's not trying to be photo-realistic. It’s more like he’s asking, "What's the bare minimum I need to suggest this shape?" And those hatched marks on the side of the figure – they're not just shading, they're like little bursts of energy, giving the drawing a kind of electric charge. I bet he was looking at other artists like, maybe even Van Gogh. It's all one big conversation, you know? Artists riffing off each other, trying new ways to see the world. And that's what makes painting so alive.