Seated Nude with Hair in Neck Bun 1933

Dorrit Black made this nude drawing in pencil, and it’s the kind of piece that shows you can do a lot with very little. I find myself drawn to the subtle gradations of tone. It's almost like she's sculpting with light and shadow, creating a sense of volume and depth on the page. Notice the way she uses hatching and cross-hatching to build up the form, how the lines become denser in the areas of shadow and thinner where the light hits. I think it really shows a dedication to the process. Look at the figure's left leg, the one stretching across the page. See how the simple lines define the contours, almost like a map of the body. There’s a real tenderness in the way she renders the curves. For me, the drawing brings to mind other artists who were thinking about the body, like Egon Schiele. But where he goes for angularity, Black is softer, more interested in the play of light. It’s a reminder that art is always in conversation, with different voices and perspectives adding to the mix.