Girl 1900 - 1937

Eero Järnefelt made this drawing of a girl, we don't know exactly when or where, using delicate strokes of graphite and subtle washes of color. I look at this drawing, and I think about the artist's hand, how carefully it moved to capture the softness of her face. See how he’s trying to catch her likeness with these fine, feathery lines? He coaxes a likeness of the girl into being, and how the warm hues bring a gentle glow to her skin. The lines almost look like they're breathing, especially around her eyes and hair. I can almost feel the texture of the paper, like it’s part of the drawing itself. Maybe Eero was thinking about other artists before him who drew children, like Käthe Kollwitz. This quiet drawing connects to a long tradition of artists who have used drawing to explore the nuances of the human experience. It's like they're all talking to each other across time.