Dix Danseuses VII 1925 - 1926

This drawing of dancers was made by Henri Matisse with graphite on paper. It's all lines, and the overall effect is kind of wispy, like a memory. I can imagine Matisse just watching the dancers practice or rehearse, maybe taking a break, and he's got his sketchbook out and he's just trying to capture the feeling of movement and shape, not worrying so much about perfection. Look at those lines—they have a real personality to them. Like the quick, scribbled lines of the tutu and the dancer's hair. I feel like I'm right there with him, just sketching away, trying to pin down something that's always moving, always changing. And that's the thing about drawing—it's not about getting it "right," it's about the process of seeing and feeling and trying to make a mark that means something.