Nymphs c. 1911

Maurice Denis made this drawing of Nymphs, sometime in his career, probably using charcoal and chalk on paper. It’s a study, a trying out of things, and it’s so alive. I love the way he’s not precious about it, you can feel the hand moving, searching for the form. The ochre ground of the paper peeks through, unifying the whole image. The standing figure is so full of energy, arm raised, like she's conducting an orchestra of trees. And then there’s the reclining figure, all languid and relaxed. I keep wondering, is it the same figure in two different poses, or is it two separate drawings layered on top of each other? There's something so modern about the way Denis combines these classical figures with a kind of raw, sketch-like energy. It makes me think of Picasso, how he mixed tradition with a totally new way of seeing. It's like Denis is saying, "Art is a conversation, and I'm just adding my voice to the mix."