Femme Se Faisant Les Ongles 1902

This is "Femme Se Faisant Les Ongles" by Théophile Alexandre Steinlen; it’s a drawing, and the title translates as 'woman doing her nails'. It's all in these light brown hues – sepia, maybe umber. You can imagine the artist, Steinlen, working with these muted tones, letting the lines define the form. The figure almost emerges from the paper, like a ghost or a memory. I wonder what he was thinking about when he made this? Maybe he wanted to capture a private moment, a woman lost in her own world. The lines are delicate but confident, suggesting a deep understanding of the human form. The way the light catches the curve of her back, the subtle shading around her legs…there is a sense of intimacy. It reminds me of Degas, of course, or even some of the early Picasso drawings. Artists, we're all in conversation, borrowing and stealing from each other. And ultimately, just trying to make sense of the world, one line, one gesture at a time.