La Rostiche. Marché des Enfants-Rouges, en 1907. 3ème arrondissement 1907

Frédéric Houbron made this drawing of the Marché des Enfants-Rouges in 1907, using soft, light pencil lines. Imagine him there, charcoal or pencil in hand, trying to capture the hustle and bustle of the market! The marks are so light, like whispers, but together they build a chorus of people milling, each stroke a tiny observation. I can almost feel the rhythm of the market, the back-and-forth of sketching, the trying-and-erasing. It's like a dance, isn't it? You add a little here, take away a little there, trying to get the feeling just right. I love the way the shading creates depth, making the crowd feel dense and alive. It reminds me a little of Daumier, who used very different techniques to capture the same scenes. It’s lovely to imagine Houbron’s world and to know he was part of a long line of artists finding poetry in the everyday. What he started, we continue, each adding our own voice to the mix.