Maxim 1951

Tsuguharu Foujita made this drawing, Maxim, with ink, and what looks like watercolor. The whole thing is so linear, almost like it's trying to escape being a drawing and become a diagram of a very busy restaurant! The marks are so crisp, like he’s describing everything with just the right amount of detail. Look at the faces, the way he suggests volume with a few quick strokes, so economical! It feels like he’s trying to capture the essence of the place, the noise, and the energy, more than just a snapshot of a scene. And then there’s the cross-hatching on the ceiling – it creates depth but also flattens the space, like a puzzle. Foujita’s kind of playing with our perception, making us question what we’re seeing. It reminds me a bit of some of Picasso’s cafe scenes. There is this sense of wanting to capture a sense of excitement, using line and tone. Ultimately, the drawing doesn’t resolve itself, it lives somewhere in between observation and pure creation.