Prince of the City c. 1981

Robert Peak, who lived from 1927 to 1992, made "Prince of the City" with, it looks like, charcoal and paint on paper, and it's all about mood. The drawing jumps out at you with it's monochrome drama, all stark contrasts and anxious energy. You can almost feel the artist wrestling with the image, trying to pin down a feeling more than a depiction. The material's pretty thin and wispy, letting the dark ground breathe around the figures. See how that screaming face is both there and not there, fading into the shadows? I wonder if Peak was thinking about film noir, with its high contrast and moral ambiguity. Or maybe he was just trying to capture that feeling of being overwhelmed, of a world closing in. Either way, it’s a powerful piece, speaking to something deep and unsettling.