Road End 1939

Arthur Lehmann made this drawing, Road End, with pencil on paper. I’m struck by how Lehmann embraces the gritty texture and humble materials. Look at that tree. It's not just a tree; it’s a scraggly, almost mournful figure. The marks aren't trying to trick you into thinking it's a photo. Each pencil stroke feels deliberate, like Lehmann is wrestling with the form, trying to coax it into existence. And the way he builds up the shadows around the building, it's like he's inviting us to step into this slightly eerie, but strangely inviting, world. I’m thinking of other artists working in a similar vein, like Charles Burchfield, who infused his landscapes with a kind of mystical, emotional energy. Lehmann, like Burchfield, seems to be saying that art isn't about perfection; it's about the messy, beautiful, and often awkward process of trying to make sense of the world around us.