Studies of a Male Nude 1912

George Grosz made this drawing, Studies of a Male Nude, with pencil on paper. I imagine him hunched over, probably in a cold studio, really looking at the model, but also not really caring. The drawing seems hurried, anxious. Like the artist couldn't wait to get it down. I can see his hand moving quickly, trying to capture the form before it disappears. There are these scribbled lines, scratchy and raw, that create a sense of unease. They're not just describing the body, they're also expressing something else, something darker, maybe? I feel like he's also in conversation with other artists like Kathe Kollwitz, who also drew the figure. I wonder if Grosz ever thought about how his drawings would be viewed in the future. Probably not. Artists are too busy making to worry about that stuff. I bet he was just trying to get something off his chest, or out of his head.