Faam c. 1903 - 1904

Henri Fantin-Latour made this drawing, Faam, with graphite, and maybe a little bit of conté crayon. He seems to be working very intuitively. It feels like he’s groping around in the dark, trying to find a form. The figure emerges from a background of smudgy charcoal or graphite. I wonder if he made the background first and then drew the figure out of it? Like he was carving space. And what is she doing? Is she blowing a trumpet? Is that a star on the end? I imagine Fantin-Latour in his studio, probably a bit messy, and the light dim, trying to capture something elusive. Like a memory, or a dream. It reminds me a bit of Odilon Redon, who was also working around the same time, conjuring up strange, mystical images. Artists have always been in conversation with each other. Seeing what others are doing and then pushing it further, or in a different direction.