sketchbook, sketch 5 c. 1921s

This sketch was made by Frederick Carl Frieseke. It looks like a simple drawing with very gentle, light touches of pencil. I wonder what Frieseke was thinking when he made this? It’s just a sketchbook work, so maybe he was experimenting, thinking through something he was trying to work out in a more finished painting. I imagine he was trying to capture a casual domestic scene. What’s interesting is the woman’s gaze - she's looking directly out at you, and it feels very level. You wonder if Frieseke knew her. I guess I’m always trying to put myself in the artist's shoes and think about what they were thinking when they made it. What were they trying to see? All artists are in an ongoing conversation with each other across time, inspiring one another’s creativity.