Negro Standing 1937

Hugh Mesibov made this drawing, Negro Standing, with charcoal on paper. The sweeping marks and smudges almost feel carved out, like he’s trying to release the figure from the page. I imagine Mesibov circling the model, charcoal stick in hand, trying to capture a sense of weight and form, but also the psychological mood of the subject. The marks are rough, and the figure seems to be caught in a moment of reflection, his head bowed in thought. I think he may be searching for a likeness, a way to translate a three-dimensional person into a two-dimensional plane. You can see the concentration in the artist’s marks, the way he uses the charcoal to build up the shadows and create a sense of depth. Like many artists, Mesibov is in conversation with the old masters, mining the past for inspiration but also pushing against it. He’s part of an ongoing exchange of ideas, inspiring future artists with his own unique vision and process.