Monique 1945

Leon Kroll made this drawing, Monique, with pencil on paper. It's a beauty, and to me, it's like a whisper on the page. I can imagine Kroll, carefully building up tone and form with delicate strokes. The woman depicted is lost in thought. I bet Kroll felt that thoughtful mood too! There’s something so tender and intimate about capturing another person like this. It kind of reminds me of Manet and those guys. But then I think, isn't every portrait also a self-portrait? When we look at another person, we are also seeing something of ourselves, a reflection of our own desires and fears. Drawing someone is not about capturing them, but about the conversation between the artist and the subject.