Tre kvinder ved en brønd. Portugal. 1911

Othon Friesz made this brush and ink drawing, Three Women at a Well, in Portugal. Look at the immediacy of Friesz’s marks! The drawing is all about the act of seeing, and the act of making. The ink varies in thickness and opacity, moving from confident strokes to thin, almost faded lines. It’s like he’s thinking with the brush, trying to capture the women’s forms with as few gestures as possible. The dark pools of ink give weight to the figures, while the open areas suggest light and air. I’m especially drawn to the standing woman on the right and the way Friesz uses just a few lines to suggest the weight and balance of the jar on her head. Her pose is so specific, the loose robe draped across her body, the feet planted to keep steady. It reminds me a bit of Matisse, or even a quick sketch by Cézanne, where the process is just as important as the subject. This piece is not about perfection or realism, but about finding the essence of a moment through the language of ink.