Farmer 1942

Arnold Peter Weisz-Kubínčan made this drawing of a farmer with pastel. The marks are wispy and soft, like he's trying to catch a feeling more than a likeness. I love how the whole thing is bathed in this warm, earthy orange, almost like the paper itself is glowing. It’s like looking at a memory, hazy and a bit dreamlike. See how the figure sort of emerges from the background? Kubínčan uses these little pops of green and yellow to create this sense of depth, even though the marks are really loose. There is a sense of weight in the hunched posture of the figure. The strokes are like a dance, a search for form that feels both tentative and sure. It reminds me a bit of Paula Modersohn-Becker, that same earthy palette and interest in the working class. Ultimately, this drawing is about feeling, about the artist's connection to his subject, and his lived experience.