Monique 1945

Leon Kroll made this drawing, Monique, using graphite on paper. The hatching creates a great sense of depth. Look at her toes: see how the artist has meticulously rendered the form with tiny strokes, and how these differ from the softer hatching on her thigh? Kroll’s focus on form and anatomy, really brings this drawing to life; you can almost feel the softness of her skin and the weight of her arm resting on her leg. The subtle tonal variations achieved with graphite create a sense of volume and dimensionality. There’s something almost sculptural about it, like a study for a figure that might later be cast in bronze. I see echoes of Ingres in this drawing, with its focus on line and form. And, like Ingres, Kroll's drawing invites us to consider the relationship between observation and imagination, and the ways in which artists transform the world around them into something new and meaningful. There’s no end point, just an ongoing conversation.