Seated Female Nude c. 1908 - 1923

Ferdinand Oldewelt sketched this nude, likely in his studio, using graphite on paper. Look how he has captured the model; there’s a lightness of touch, a sense of searching. I love the economy of line, how he suggests the form without fully defining it. You can feel the artist figuring things out, deciding where to commit and where to leave it open. It's almost as if the painting is being discovered rather than imposed. I wonder what the model was thinking as she posed? Did she feel seen, or objectified? Oldewelt's sketch feels intimate but also detached. Perhaps it's a study, a way of understanding form and light. It is part of an ongoing conversation about the body and representation, each artist adds their voice, their perspective. And just like that, another layer of meaning is added.