Liggende model 1914 - 1915

Karl Isakson made this charcoal drawing of a reclining nude, with the Staatens Museum for Kunst, in their infinite wisdom, preserving it. I love the artist’s line here, because it is not about 'copying' from life – more like finding a gesture that stands in for the feeling of a body. Sort of like how Cy Twombly, another great artist, would use a scribble to capture the idea of something, not necessarily the thing itself. Isakson has given us just enough information to conjure a whole world of feeling and the subject’s psychological mood. A single mark makes a breast, another describes the curve of a hip. Imagine Isakson rapidly moving across the page, his charcoal stick capturing light and shadow. He doesn't fuss over the details. The image is built from what is essential; it's a dance between the artist, the model, and the charcoal, all coming together to create a fleeting moment on paper. It is a reminder of how art is made.