A Shrouded Figure Seated Before a Fantastic Skyscraper 1928

Francisco Borges Salas made this drawing, "A Shrouded Figure Seated Before a Fantastic Skyscraper," using graphite, and, wow, the precision of it! There's such a stillness in the tones that suggests a whole world of movement and light. You can really see how Borges Salas embraced the act of looking. The texture is smooth but detailed, almost photographic. Look how the shading creates depth and form, especially in the figure’s shroud and the geometric shapes of the skyscraper. It is like the texture of a dream, all in graphite. I’m drawn to the way the light seems to emanate from behind the skyscraper, casting long, dramatic shadows. The lines are so carefully placed, like Borges Salas was building an entire world, stroke by stroke. There's something of Piranesi in this drawing - that same architectural fantasy. But there’s also a quietness that's all Borges Salas’s own. Art is always a conversation across time, a back-and-forth of seeing and thinking. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to shout to be heard. Sometimes, the most powerful statements are whispered in graphite.