Figuur, mogelijk op een kade c. 1909s

Alexander Shilling made this sketch, maybe on location, maybe not, who knows? I imagine Shilling with his sketchbook, pencil in hand, quickly jotting down what he sees, feeling the moment in the fleeting lines. The sketch captures a scene, perhaps a figure on a quay, rendered with economical lines and a sense of immediacy. The right page with the figure feels particularly lively. I am drawn to its sense of incompleteness, like a half-remembered dream or a fleeting impression. Looking at the marks, they are suggestive. They don’t attempt to describe the world in a naturalistic way. I'm thinking of other artists who embrace the sketch, like Cy Twombly. I'd like to see Shilling blow this sketch up, keep the lines, and paint.