Trois figures de femme à mi-corps 

This sketch of three women was created in the 1800s by Narcisse-Virgilio Diaz, using graphite on paper. The very lightness of touch is apparent in this drawing, isn't it? The thin graphite lines, barely darker than the paper itself, suggest a fleeting moment. It gives the impression that it was drawn quickly and efficiently. It wasn’t about creating a polished image, but rather capturing the essence of the figures with as few lines as possible. Drawing materials like graphite were crucial in democratizing art production. Graphite sticks and pencils were relatively inexpensive and widely available. This made drawing accessible to a broader range of people beyond the wealthy elite who could afford painting materials. We might appreciate it not as a finished object, but as a record of Diaz’s active engagement with the world, and that making visible the labour that goes into art is vital. Ultimately, attention to materials and process allows us to question the traditional hierarchy between drawing and painting, or between the sketch and finished work.