Amazon 1917

Zygmunt Waliszewski made this drawing of an Amazon, a woman on horseback, with ink on paper. The line is so concise it barely contains the forms, but does so with assurance. It’s like he has drawn this figure a hundred times and is now able to capture the very essence of a riding woman. I bet he did this from memory, conjuring up the image of a circus performer or a figure from folklore, riding bareback. Just imagine Waliszewski, pen in hand, deciding whether to give the horse a more muscular or playful form. See how he’s chosen to give it almost comically large hooves, as if the animal is wearing clown shoes, a touch of humour! Waliszewski's other paintings often combine dreamlike imagery with sharp, graphic elements. This drawing shares that surreal sensibility, opening a little door into an imaginative world. It reminds me that, as painters, we're all in conversation, picking up each other’s ideas, playing and improvising.