Conciliabule 1916

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen made this drawing, Conciliabule, on what looks like paper, using graphite or charcoal. There’s a real intimacy to the drawing, maybe due to the artist's obvious mark making. You can see how the artist built the form with many short strokes. The texture of the strokes is important here. See how the direction of the mark implies both form and light. The artist uses this to give shape to the soldier’s coats, implying a sense of depth and three-dimensionality. You can see around the legs, how the marks follow the form. Notice the economy of means by which the artist implies shape. It’s almost like we’re seeing the artist think on the page. Steinlen was a contemporary of Toulouse-Lautrec, and like him, he captured everyday life in Paris. Perhaps there’s also a nod to Daumier in his social realism? But also, is that a cat I spy down in the corner there? So cute! Ultimately, the work is a testament to art's ability to capture a moment, a mood, a feeling, without pretense.