Devastated Trees [verso] 1918

John Singer Sargent made this drawing with graphite on paper. It's all about seeing the world through mark-making, like a visual language forming right before your eyes. The textures in this piece, they're not just about the smooth surface of the paper, but the very essence of what Sargent’s trying to show us about these trees. Notice how he uses these rapid, almost frantic lines to build up the forms. Look at that tree on the left, how those marks clump together, creating a sense of volume and depth. Each stroke feels like it's searching, exploring the shape. It makes me think of Guston’s late drawings, both these artists share that feeling of working through something, the drawing as a record of thought. With art there’s always a conversation happening, a back-and-forth across time and between artists. It's never about one single right answer, but all about the questions it opens up.