Parklandskab. La Côte de Grâce, Honfleur 1904 - 1907

This landscape sketch was made by Othon Friesz, probably with ink on paper, and you can feel the artist’s hand moving quickly. It’s all in the wrist! Friesz uses these thin, wiry lines that dart and dash across the paper like he’s trying to capture the essence of a fleeting moment. I bet he was out in the landscape itself, feeling the breeze and squinting at the light. It’s like he’s thinking about the Fauves, but he's still stuck on trying to draw everything 'right.' The lines are kind of nervous, like he’s not quite sure what he’s seeing, or maybe he’s just trying to keep up with the speed of his own thoughts. Each stroke feels like a little question mark, a tentative exploration of form and space. I can relate to that, the feeling of searching for something in the act of making. Friesz is in conversation with other landscape artists like Cezanne. Maybe art isn’t about answers, but about keeping the questions alive.