Standing Soldier 1990

Abraham Bloemaert made this drawing of a soldier with pen and wash. It's all about process, isn't it? The lines are so alive. You can see him thinking, rethinking. Look at the way he builds up the form with these delicate strokes. It’s not about perfection, but more about feeling. It makes the whole thing so much more human. The wash gives it a ghostly, ephemeral quality. It's like he's trying to catch a memory, or maybe a dream. That feather in his hat, for example. It's just a few flicks of the pen, but it tells you everything you need to know about the guy’s swagger. I am reminded of some drawings by Goltzius, who was Bloemaert’s teacher, and whose drawings also demonstrate such a supreme mastery of the line. Art is like a big conversation, after all, where we’re all just riffing off each other, trying to find our own voice.