Old man 1917

Zygmunt Waliszewski made this drawing, Old Man, with ink on paper, and it looks like it was a pretty quick job! The artist uses only a few lines, mostly outlines, to create a dynamic figure with exaggerated musculature and an unusual, almost melancholic posture. I love how the weight is shifted, and how the arms dangle as if they are a separate entity to the body. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving swiftly across the page, capturing the essence of the figure with incredible economy. It’s interesting to think about Waliszewski’s process here, maybe he was inspired by a live model, maybe he was just doodling—either way, he reduced the figure to its most basic form. This piece seems to be in conversation with other artists throughout history who have been interested in the human form; the way that Waliszewski abstracts and distorts it adds a unique twist. The figure's simplified form invites us to project our own interpretations onto the artwork, so what do you see?