Nudes on Pedestals 1919

František Drtikol made this drawing, Nudes on Pedestals, using charcoal to create a moody and ethereal scene. Charcoal, you know, it’s all about the process of adding and subtracting, blending and smudging, it's a medium that thrives on gesture. The drawing is all about texture; look at the way the charcoal creates a velvety surface, especially in the dark, hanging forms above. The figures themselves emerge from the shadows, almost like ghosts. Notice how the light catches the edges, giving them a subtle, almost unreal glow. It's this contrast between light and dark that creates a sense of drama and mystery. The reflections in the water are so delicate, almost dissolving into the surface. Drtikol has something of the Symbolist painter, Odilon Redon, about him, the way he conjures up these dreamlike visions, full of feeling and ambiguity. It's all a bit elusive, refusing any easy reading, and all the more interesting for it.