Sketch of a hand 1992

Edwin Austin Abbey made this sketch of a hand, we don’t know when, but I reckon it was probably with chalk. Look at the way he’s laid down these almost powdery marks, so soft, like the hand is emerging from a fog. You can almost feel the artist feeling his way across the surface, trying to coax the hand into being. The texture of the paper seems to be really important here; it’s not smooth, but has a tooth that grabs the chalk. Notice how the light seems to catch the knuckles, and how Abbey uses the darkness of the paper to create the shadows. There's one little highlight just below the palm that I keep coming back to. It's so subtle, but it gives the whole hand a sense of depth and form. This reminds me of Degas' drawings, that same interest in capturing fleeting moments and gestures. It’s like Abbey is saying, "Look at this hand, isn't it amazing how many ways there are to see and describe a single thing?"