Woman at Work at a Table 1948

Ilka Gedo made this drawing of a woman at work at a table, we don't know when, but it looks like it's been made with pastel or crayon. The whole scene is built up with these kind of fuzzy strokes, everything rendered with a sensitivity to the material. Look at the table's surface. You can feel the movement of her arm, bent over and passing over the things in front of her. There is something about the woman’s posture, hunched over her work, that gives the image a melancholy air. Gedo's use of dry media really contributes to this feeling, which has this kind of ghostly, unfinished quality. It puts me in mind of Paula Modersohn-Becker, another artist who sought to capture the quiet dignity of everyday life. Like Becker, Gedo finds beauty in the mundane, and reminds us that art can be found in the most unexpected places. It's a wonderful thought, isn't it?