Street in Villeneuve 1911

Hermann Lismann made this drawing of a street in Villeneuve. He uses confident black lines to capture the light of the street and the way it reflects off the architecture. I can imagine Lismann standing in the very spot, squinting at the sun to render what he sees before him. This work makes me think about being an artist; Lismann is not only depicting the scene before him, but he's also playing with perception and depth. Look at the simple lines that create the rooftops; they're so economical, yet they give us everything we need to understand the scene. It's like he's saying, "Here's the essence of this place, catch it if you can." And then there are the figures, two simple forms that are barely more than just a mark on the page, which adds a human touch. It reminds me of the drawings of Guston, but with a softer touch, a quiet observation rather than a bold statement. There is a conversation happening through time in painting, isn’t there? A call and response through the ages.