Iris c. 20th century

Herbert G. French made this drawing, Iris, with graphite on paper. There’s a subtle, almost ghostly, quality to this drawing, like a memory fading or a dream half-forgotten. I imagine French gently coaxing the image into being, stroke by stroke, slowly building up the tones and textures. I can almost feel the soft give of the paper under the graphite, the way the marks would shift and change with the slightest pressure. The graininess of the paper is really important, too. It catches the graphite in just the right way, creating this hazy, atmospheric effect. Look at how he’s handled the light around the girl’s face—it’s so delicate, so tender. The drawing is reminiscent of the work of other artists like Whistler or even some of the early Impressionists, who were all interested in capturing fleeting moments and atmospheric effects. Artists are constantly building on each other’s ideas, riffing on themes and techniques, and pushing the boundaries of what drawing can do. It's a reminder that art is not just about representation, but about feeling, and the beauty that emerges when artists allow themselves to explore and experiment.