Seated naturschitsa 1908

Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin made this drawing of a seated nude, sometime in the first half of the 20th century, using charcoal on paper. It's a study in form, yes, but it's also so much about mark-making, isn't it? Look at the way he builds up the shadows, with all these tiny, nervous strokes. See how the charcoal almost seems to vibrate on the page? You can feel the artist's hand moving, searching, trying to capture the weight and volume of the figure. The texture of the paper itself plays a role, adding a kind of grit to the image. It’s interesting how the linear blocks behind offset the curves of the figure, making it more dynamic overall. It reminds me a little of Matisse's drawings, where the line is everything, and the simplest of means can convey so much. Art, it’s just one big conversation.