Study of a Seated Girl 

Jean-Louis Forain made this study of a seated girl using graphite and watercolor. The barest minimum of means have been used to create the image. It's almost as if he's trying to see how little he can do. Forain was associated with artists like Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec, who were interested in capturing modern life. This drawing is a study, probably for a larger composition, and the quick, economical way of working is notable. It feels as if it was made on the spot, and we can feel the artist figuring out the relationship between the model, his hand, and the medium in real time. The image doesn’t have a high finish, and instead prioritizes the active hand of the artist. Consider this drawing in relation to other, more polished works in the gallery. Hopefully it will make you think twice about the labor that went into them.