Paris, Port des Orfèvres, l'hiver, avec la Seine gelée 1910

Fernand Combes made this drawing of Paris, Port des Orfèvres, in the winter, with the Seine gelée, using what looks like graphite on paper. Can't you just feel that crisp Parisian air? I like to imagine Combes out there on the banks of the Seine, probably freezing his tush off. With each stroke, he captures not just the boats and the frozen river, but the very essence of a cold winter's day in Paris. Look at how the dark, smudgy lines define the shapes of the boats, their reflections shimmering faintly on the ice. And notice how the bare trees reach up into the misty sky, their branches like delicate, spidery veins. It reminds me a bit of Whistler’s nocturnes, that same feeling of quiet observation and poetic moodiness, capturing the fleeting moments of urban life. Each of these painters, connected through the ages, inspiring each other to see and feel and record. We could look at this drawing forever.