Seated naturschitsa 1908

Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin made this drawing, Seated naturschitsa, in pencil on paper. Look at the hatched lines bringing her into being. I can imagine him, pencil in hand, trying to capture the weight and feel of the sitter’s flesh. The subtle shading gives form to her arms and torso, and a sense of depth to the space. I find myself sympathizing with Petrov-Vodkin. How hard it must have been to get it just right. To capture the nuances of light and shadow on the skin. And what about the sitter? What must it have been like to sit for him? The drawing captures her absorbed in her own world, lost in thought. Her hands and feet seem particularly detailed, grounding the figure and giving a sense of her physical presence. This piece reminds me of other life drawings, like those by Matisse, which are also intimate and revealing. We artists, we’re always learning from each other. Always in conversation.