Indian Standing with Hand on Hip 1955

Courtney Allen made this drawing, *Indian Standing with Hand on Hip*, with what looks like a graphite stick on paper. What catches my eye is the economical use of line. See how some lines are weighted and darker, while others are barely there, just wisps, and the whole thing shimmers! I think it took Allen maybe twenty minutes to make this drawing. I wonder what it was like to be the artist. I imagine Allen seeing this person, quickly assessing the pose, the light, and the proportions. What makes this drawing sing is that it's not overworked or fussy. There's an incredible lightness of touch in the way the jacket falls and bunches. I love how the figure emerges, fully formed from Allen's attention. It reminds me of other artists who worked quickly, like Elizabeth Peyton, Alice Neel or even Manet. Artists all talking to each other across time, you know? This drawing feels open to possibility, rather than fixed or overly defined.