Woman Seated 1917

Max Pechstein made this drawing, Woman Seated, in 1917 with ink on paper, and when I look at it, I can’t help but think about the pure joy of mark-making. Pechstein really went for it, didn't he? The drawing is all about the rhythm of these stark black lines. They define the woman’s form, her dress, the chair, and even the space around her. You can almost feel the speed of the artist’s hand, the way the ink flows and pools in certain spots. The marks around her feel like a cage and the angularity and boldness of line perhaps tells us something about her psychological state. I’m drawn to the way he uses hatching to create shadows and volume. It’s not about being precise or realistic, but about capturing the essence of the subject. I think of other expressionists like Kirchner, or even some of Matisse’s ink drawings, where the line becomes a kind of dance. Ultimately, this piece is a reminder that art is a conversation, an ongoing exploration of what it means to see and feel the world around us.