Vajda Lajos Dragon 1939, Charcoal on Paper, 90x62.8cm 1939

Vajda Lajos made this drawing of a dragon in 1939 with charcoal on paper. Look at the dark, almost gothic lines of the charcoal against the beige paper, creating a shadowy presence. I imagine Lajos hunched over this work, furiously layering line upon line, giving form to this mythical creature. He seems to relish the contrast between the dense darkness of the charcoal and the bare paper, the dragon emerging from the nothingness. See how the texture of the paper allows the charcoal to grab on, creating a kind of toothy surface, almost like scales. The artist repeats certain marks to create forms, giving the dragon a kind of symbolic, rather than realistic presence. Artists are always in conversation with one another through time. I wonder what other artists Lajos had in mind when he made this drawing. Maybe, like him, we can create our own dragons!