Portrait of Madame Vuillard c. 1924 - 1926

Édouard Vuillard drew this portrait of Madame Vuillard using pencil, and I love how the marks seem to just float on the page. It's like the drawing is a conversation, a back-and-forth between the artist and the paper. Look at the way he's built up the shadows under her chin and along her arm. It's not about perfect lines, but about finding the form through a kind of scribbled searching. The pencil feels almost tentative, like he's feeling his way around the shapes. There is a freedom to the lines that creates a kind of intimacy. It reminds me of some of Gwen John’s quiet portraits, how they capture a sense of interiority with such simple means. Ultimately, this drawing is a reminder that art isn't about getting it "right," but about the messy, beautiful process of looking and trying to understand.