Weiblicher Akt, an der Wand stehend 1934

Richard Martin Werner made this drawing of a female nude standing by a wall, probably in the 1930s. It's so light and airy, almost like a whisper on paper. I can imagine Werner in his studio, quickly capturing this figure with delicate lines. What was he thinking as he drew? Was he focused on the play of light and shadow, or the curve of the body? There is such beautiful economy in the mark-making. The slight gradations of tone shape the form and volume of the body with extreme sensitivity. You can really feel his hand moving across the page, gently coaxing the figure into existence with each stroke. It reminds me a little of some of Matisse’s line drawings, but with a more anxious feel. These artists share ideas about how to capture a figure, in as few lines as possible. It’s like they are all in conversation, inspiring each other to see and draw in new ways. Each mark carries intention, but also openness. The drawing is always in motion, never fixed, inviting us to look, and feel, and think.