Sitting female nude 

Wilhelm Trübner made this drawing of a sitting female nude using charcoal on paper, and it resides here at the Städel Museum. Charcoal as a material is incredibly direct. Essentially burnt sticks of wood, there's an immediacy between the artist's hand, the tool, and the page. The marks are raw, smudged, and gestural. Trübner uses these qualities to their full effect here, creating a figure out of shadow and light. The paper provides a textured surface, and the charcoal catches in its tooth, adding depth to the drawing. The gray tone of the paper also allows the artist to build contrast, emphasizing the form of the figure. This simplicity of material belies the skill of the artist in capturing the human form with such economy of means. It's important to remember how materials and processes influence our understanding of art. By considering the charcoal, the paper, and the act of drawing, we can appreciate the artist's labor, and see how art challenges traditional notions of skill.