Syv skitser af gravende og brændebærende mænd samt skitse af en hund. 1907

Othon Friesz made this pen and ink drawing – *Syv skitser af gravende og brændebærende mænd samt skitse af en hund* – without a date. Imagine him, rapidly capturing figures in motion on paper, a dance of ink where each stroke conveys weight and energy. I picture Friesz in his studio, perhaps with sketches pinned to the wall, his dog at his feet. The charcoal dances across the paper, building up shadows, defining forms. Look at the thick lines defining the figures carrying wood. They seem to strain under the weight, their bodies bent. The sketch of the dog is light by comparison, capturing a sense of freedom. These robust figures, with their emphatic gestures, feel related to those by Daumier and the Barbizon School, who were equally taken with the figure in landscape. It reminds me that artists are always in dialogue with each other, across time, inspiring and pushing each other to see the world anew. And it reminds me that we too, as viewers, are invited to participate in this conversation.