On the Train 1915

Rik Wouters made this drawing of people traveling by train with ink on paper. The quick, thin lines sketch out the figures, but they also feel like a notation, a description of the moment. The texture of the paper showing through the marks feels like a veil. Wouters doesn’t conceal his process. You can almost see his hand moving, capturing the scene with a sense of lightness. I like how the plumes on the hat of the figure on the right are scribbled quickly. The hat feels almost too big for the figure, but also perfectly suited to the moment. The way Wouters uses line reminds me of Matisse. There’s a similar sense of immediacy and joy in capturing the world around him. It's like he’s saying, "Here I am, on the train, and I’m going to make a drawing of this!" The drawing embraces ambiguity, inviting us to imagine the stories of these fellow passengers.