Draughtsman and lady at the table 1917

Gustav Schraegle made this drawing of a draughtsman and a lady at the table with ink on paper. Imagine the quick, scratchy marks of the pen moving across the page. Lines overlap and intersect, building up the forms of the figures and the objects on the table. I can almost feel the artist's hand moving rapidly, trying to capture a fleeting moment, a stolen glimpse. The draughtsman is focused on his work, while the lady seems lost in thought. Maybe Schraegle was interested in how the simple black lines could communicate volume and texture, like the lady’s curly hair. See how the vertical lines in the background create a sense of depth and atmosphere, like stage curtains? This drawing reminds me of other artists, like Käthe Kollwitz, who also used line to convey emotion and social commentary. They are all in a conversation across time. Making art is like talking, where gestures are words and the surface is the space that holds it.