Staande naakte vrouw op de rug gezien 1881 - 1925

Aristide Maillol made this drawing of a standing nude woman, seen from the back, with graphite on paper. The tone of this drawing comes from mark-making, lines on top of lines, building up a mass, which reminds us that drawings are also about a process, about the time it takes to build something up. Look at how the texture of the paper comes through, a warm, off-white peeking out between the strokes of graphite, like breath in a cold room. See how the cross-hatching defines the curve of her back, the swell of her hips, the drape of the fabric? The surface is alive with tiny movements, each line a whisper, a caress. It all reminds me of Seurat, an artist who was interested in the possibilities of mark making. But unlike Seurat, there's something deeply personal here, as if Maillol isn't trying to capture reality, but rather, feeling his way through it. Drawing is about exchange, about opening up a space of imagination.