Dans le hall 1916

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen made this drawing 'Dans le hall' with what looks like charcoal or pencil – you can see the texture of the marks on the page. I imagine him there, in the hall, maybe a bit overwhelmed, trying to capture the feel of the space and the movement of people. You know, making a drawing is a way of thinking through feeling. I wonder if he was thinking about Degas, about how to capture the fleeting moment? There’s this amazing contrast between the huge architecture of the hall and the ordinary people passing through. I love how the lines capture the light filtering through the glass ceiling. It's like the whole scene is vibrating with energy. A gesture of the artist's hand captures the feeling of the everyday. It's rough and ready and immediate. It reminds me that artists are always looking at each other's work, responding and riffing off of what came before. Steinlen makes me want to grab my own charcoal and get to work!