Stående kvindelig model 1904 - 1907

This is a drawing by Karl Isakson, a standing female nude made sometime around 1918 in pencil on paper. The first thing I notice is how Isakson is feeling out the form, searching, with the pencil line light in some places, and then, in the denser areas, like around the head and the torso, really digging in. It's like he's mapping the contours of the figure. There is something so tactile about the marks, that I can almost feel the give and take of the pencil on the page. The line feels alive, responsive. I think of other artists who work with the nude like Matisse and Schiele, but Isakson's line is different; the searching quality makes it feel like an authentic pursuit. He is finding her. I love that the drawing feels open, like a conversation between artist, model, and the simple tools they use to make art.