Bearded Man in Profile (recto) / Woman Looking Up (verso) 

Alexandre Bida made this drawing of a Bearded Man in profile with graphite on paper, sometime in the 19th century. The material simplicity of graphite belies its transformative qualities, a humble medium with which an artist can conjure figures from the imagination. Look closely, and you'll see how Bida worked to create a striking likeness. The density of the marks build up the planes of the man's face, the shading giving the figure volume and weight. See how the artist varied the pressure to create areas of light and dark, depth and texture. There is a tactile quality in the rendering of the beard, distinct from the smooth expanse of the blue-grey paper support. Graphite, in its industrial form, connects the intimacy of drawing to larger questions of labor, politics, and consumption. Bida skillfully crafted this image using a material available to many, a reminder that artmaking is always rooted in a specific time, place, and set of social circumstances. This drawing challenges the high-low art divide, revealing graphite's capacity for both everyday use and artistic expression.