Study of seated women 1985

Edwin Austin Abbey made this study of a seated woman with what looks like charcoal, maybe with a little bit of chalk, and it's all about how he lays down those marks, you know? It's like he's thinking through the process, line by line. The beauty here is in the roughness, the exposed process. Look at the hatching on her dress, the way the lines just stack up, not trying to hide. And the hands! They're just these suggestive gestures, not all filled in, but your brain does the work. It's like Abbey is saying, "Here's the info, you figure out the rest." I love the economy of it, how much he gets across with so little fuss. It reminds me a bit of some of Degas' drawings, where he's just feeling his way around a form, not trying to be perfect, just present. And isn't that what art's all about?