Femme nue 

Narcisse-Virgilio Diaz created this sketch, "Femme nue," with humble materials: paper and chalk. The red and black chalk is rubbed, hatched and smudged to create an impression of form and depth, but this is clearly a quick study, not a finished composition. Notice how the artist has lightly sketched the figure in several poses at once, as if exploring the body’s potential for movement. It's this quality of exploration that gives the drawing its special appeal. Diaz is best known as a painter of Romantic landscapes, often featuring idealized figures. Here, the human body is not presented as a finished object for our admiration, but rather as a subject of investigation. We see the artist thinking through his materials, in search of a form that will satisfy him. Thinking about the work in this way allows us to move beyond traditional distinctions between fine art and craft, appreciating the value of the creative process itself.