Woman 1966

Jacob Kainen made this ink drawing, titled "Woman," in 1966. Look at the sweeping, confident lines that define the figure. It makes me think about the act of drawing as a dance, a choreography between the hand, the eye, and the subject. I can imagine Kainen, back in '66, quickly moving the pen across the paper, trying to capture not just the appearance of the woman, but maybe something about her essence, her mood. There's an immediacy to it, like he’s chasing a fleeting moment. See how the gray shading adds volume and depth with diagonal marks which contrast with the short nervous zigzags of the seated area. The drawing's simplicity reminds me of Matisse, but with a touch of something darker, maybe a bit of German Expressionism creeping in. It's like Kainen is having a conversation with the art of the past, riffing on its themes and ideas. That's what I like best, the idea of artists talking to each other across time, inspiring each other to see and feel in new ways.