Study for 'Bread' 1949

This is ‘Study for Bread’ by Tetyana Yablonska, probably made with graphite on paper. Look at the way she finds the forms of sacks and figures with such light and loose lines. You can sense the artist figuring it out as she goes. I imagine Yablonska standing in the sun, squinting slightly as she maps out the scene before her. What was she thinking as she worked? I bet she was working quickly. See how the soft smudges of the ground contrast with the sharp hatching of the building and the cart? The surface isn’t overworked, everything feels fresh, like she’s really *looking*. Drawing is like a dance, isn't it? One mark leads to another, each one a response to what’s already there, and sometimes you don't know where it is all going! In this study, Yablonska is in conversation with a long history of artists using drawing to explore and understand the world, adding her own unique voice to the mix.