Two girls with bonnets c. 1771 - 1772

Editor: Here we have "Two Girls with Bonnets" created around 1771-1772 by Georg Melchior Kraus. It’s a graphite drawing. I’m struck by the sketchy quality, it feels very immediate and less about precise representation, more about capturing a sense of form. What catches your eye? Curator: Indeed. The hasty execution, the rapidly drawn lines. Observe how Kraus employed a variety of hatching techniques to delineate form and texture. Notice the parallel strokes indicating the fall of light across the figures’ dresses, as well as the areas of deeper cross-hatching that define shadow and volume. Editor: So, the artist is less interested in perfect likeness and more in using line to convey depth and volume, even with a simpler medium like graphite? Curator: Precisely. Consider how the arrangement of the figures themselves contributes to the overall composition. The contrasting poses of the two girls creates a dialogue, their slightly different styles and presentation add nuance and visual interest to the drawing. The work does invite the question: Is it merely a study of clothing or is Kraus asking to consider other aspects of these women's identity and expression. Editor: I see. So, beyond just documenting clothes, the artist uses visual cues to create a more engaging composition. I hadn't considered the significance of the placement and line work before. Thanks for pointing it out. Curator: It is in deconstructing the visual language that one deciphers the artistry that may be lurking in such a small graphite drawing.