Man in a Rocking Chair c. 1908

This drawing of a man in a rocking chair was made by Marsden Hartley using graphite on paper. I really get a sense of intimacy from this image. The man is kinda hidden in the chair, it’s like he’s being swallowed up! You know, as an artist, you’re always trying to get something down, figure something out. I wonder, was Hartley trying to capture this guy’s inner thoughts? He has managed to do that through the lines on the page. I can almost feel the push and pull of the graphite, the rhythm of the marks suggesting the rocking motion, maybe the rhythm of the man’s breath? It reminds me that every artist is in conversation with others. I imagine Hartley looking at Cezanne, then doing his own thing. That’s how art evolves, right? It’s never really about answers; more about opening up new questions.