Is Your Wife Losing 1919

Charles Dana Gibson made this ink drawing, 'Is Your Wife Losing,' probably as an illustration for a magazine. What's striking is the immediacy of the mark making, all those quick, scratchy lines building up the darks of the tuxedos. You can almost feel the pen moving across the page, and it's this sense of process that brings the scene to life. Look at the way Gibson uses line weight to suggest form and depth. The thicker lines around the figures in the foreground give them weight and presence, while the thinner, more delicate lines in the background create a sense of distance. Then there's the way he captures the texture of the fabrics, the crispness of the starched shirts, and the sheen of the polished shoes, all with just a few well-placed strokes. It reminds me a little of some of Honoré Daumier's lithographs, in that both artists have this incredible ability to capture the essence of a scene with such economy and wit. It's as if they're saying, "Here's what it feels like to be in this room, to witness this moment."