Zwei lesende Frauen in einem Zimmer 1902

Ferdinand Balzer made this image of two women reading in a room with what looks like charcoal, or pastel, or both. It's got this real sense of immediacy, like he’s just dashed it off, capturing a fleeting moment. I love how the strokes of the charcoal build up the forms, especially the way the light falls on the wall, creating these soft, hazy shadows. You can almost feel the texture of the paper, the way the charcoal grabs onto it, leaving these little flecks and smudges. And that splash of blue in their dresses? It just pops against the muted tones of the room, giving the whole thing a jolt of energy. The way Balzer uses these simple materials to evoke such a sense of atmosphere is really quite special. It makes me think of Vuillard, with that same quiet intimacy and focus on the everyday. But Balzer’s got his own thing going on, a kind of raw, almost clumsy directness that’s really appealing. For me, it’s less about a ‘perfect’ image, more about a feeling, an experience.