Yasuo Kuniyoshi c. 1930 - 1932

Emil Ganso made this line drawing of Yasuo Kuniyoshi in 1925 or 1934 with what looks like graphite on paper. I’m wondering what it was like to be Ganso, looking at Kuniyoshi, his friend and fellow artist, and trying to capture his essence with just a few lines? The drawing is so sparse, but it manages to convey a sense of Kuniyoshi’s personality. The eyes behind the round glasses are focused, and there's a certain gravity to the way he holds his pipe. I can see the influence of artists like Matisse in the economy of line, but also something uniquely Ganso’s own. It is like they are sketching out ideas, bouncing off each other’s energy and vision. Artists are always in conversation, remixing and reimagining what came before.