Repose 1928

Max Weber made this drawing, Repose, with what looks like ink on paper. The figures are rendered in a flurry of lines, and the shading is very tonal, like a charcoal drawing. I can imagine Weber attacking the paper, trying to capture the weight and form of the figures with a kind of urgency. I wonder if Weber was thinking about Cézanne when he made this drawing? There's a similar interest in volume and structure, but also a willingness to distort and exaggerate. See how the figures are piled on top of each other, almost like a Cubist collage? It's as if Weber wanted to show us multiple perspectives at once. Look at the way he renders the faces; they're not exactly naturalistic, but they have a certain expressive power. Artists are always looking at each other’s work, whether they know it or not, it’s an ongoing exchange of ideas and inspiration. I can really relate to that as a painter. The uncertainty and playfulness of the medium helps us explore different ways of seeing and experiencing the world.