Dans le "Bottin" 1923

Erich Wichmann made this line drawing "Dans le Bottin" out of nothing more than ink on paper. The marks suggest a leg, maybe? The line wanders, confident and hesitant all at once. I wonder if Wichmann was thinking about other artists when he made it, or if he was just trying to get something down quickly, like a visual note to self. I get the sense he had something on his mind, and the marks are just shorthand for something else. The paper appears to be slightly discolored or stained which adds to the sense of immediacy. The line itself is kind of shaky in a great way; it's this quality of imperfection that gives the image its real character. I feel like I can see the artist's hand moving across the page, a kind of dance between thought and action. That’s how artists work, riffing off each other, borrowing ideas, and adding their own spin. It's all about an ongoing exchange, right?