Study for Rhythm of a Russian Dance 1918

Theo van Doesburg made this study for Rhythm of a Russian Dance with pencil on paper, and it feels like such a quick, searching exploration of movement and form. You see these rectangles sort of stacked and sliding, implying depth but also a kind of playful collapse. What strikes me is the sketchiness; the lines aren't precious. They’re about trying to capture a feeling, a rhythm, rather than a precise representation. I can see Van Doesburg working out the composition on the fly, lines extending beyond shapes like he’s not sure if they will stand or fall. Look at the bottom of the work; there are multiple attempts at a horizontal line, each slightly different, until one feels 'right'. There is a real sense of energy and animation, like a dance that hasn't quite settled into its final steps. It reminds me a little of Mondrian’s move from landscapes to those iconic grids, like he's trying to find the underlying structure of something dynamic. With its embrace of process, it reminds us that art is just as much about the journey as it is the destination.