Claude Renoir, the Artist’s Son, in Profile 1908

Pierre-Auguste Renoir made this drawing of his son, Claude, likely with pen and ink. What strikes me first is the economy of the mark making. The texture of the paper, with its subtle flecks, works so well with the spare lines of ink. I think of the way Renoir applied paint in short, broken strokes, allowing light to shimmer across the surface. Here, he achieves a similar effect with the bare minimum. See how he captures the fullness of Claude’s hair with just a few, quickly drawn lines? And the way he suggests the curve of the cheek with a subtle, almost hesitant stroke? It's like he's whispering a secret about his son, not shouting it. It reminds me a little of some of Matisse’s line drawings, they share that ability to suggest volume and weight with the simplest means. This piece is beautiful in its restraint and its ability to say so much with so little.