Standing nude model 1902 - 1909

This standing nude model was made by Magnus Enckell with watercolor and pencil on paper. Look at those delicate washes and decisive outlines! I wonder if he made this from life, or from memory, from a photograph or another painting. I feel the artist here, really wrestling with the figure, smudging and layering washes of earthy golds and vibrant reds over the delicate pencil marks. It’s a study in light and shadow, an alchemical experiment in flesh tones. There’s a certain vulnerability in leaving the marks visible, showing the process. Those long brushstrokes which make up the red background, for instance, are incredibly gestural and free. That little dribble of paint on the right feels especially important, as it really reminds me of the artist's hand and their movement. Like a clue as to how the painting came into being. It reminds me of the work of Egon Schiele, where the artist’s hand is so evident in every raw, expressive line. We're all influenced by those who came before, right?