Off the Coast 1951

Lyonel Feininger made this drawing called "Off the Coast" using strokes of charcoal to create a hazy scene of ships. Look at how the charcoal seems smudged in places, like he’s really digging into the paper to build up the tonal depth. It’s like he's embracing the messiness of the medium itself, almost celebrating the act of drawing. I love the way he layers these hazy strokes of charcoal with harder, more defined lines. It gives the work a sense of depth and movement, almost like the ships are moving in and out of focus. Notice those sharp, angular lines cutting across the composition, creating a dynamic and fractured space, like broken glass. Feininger's process reminds me of Cy Twombly, another artist who wasn't afraid to embrace the raw physicality of mark-making, using it to create something deeply expressive and emotionally resonant. It is this ongoing conversation between artists across time that makes art so exciting.