March Drawing 1943

Milton Avery made this drawing in March, date unknown, with pen on paper. It’s raw and direct, like a page torn straight from a sketchbook, which it probably is. Look at the way Avery uses line: loose scribbles become trees and solid, unwavering marks turn into bodies. You can almost feel the pen scratching across the page. The woman’s skirt is a flurry of cross-hatched lines, while her face remains a simple, almost featureless oval. This contrast embodies a certain ambiguity, an invitation to complete the image in your own mind, and find meaning in the understated. Avery's drawing reminds me of Guston's late work, where simple, almost cartoonish forms convey profound emotion. Both artists understand that art is not about perfect representation, but about capturing a feeling, a moment, an essence.