Clown met accordeon en ruiter op een dressuurpaard 1934

Lodewijk Schelfhout made this drawing of a clown, an accordion, and a rider on a dressage horse in graphite. Look at how he layers the lines to create different tonal values and suggest form. You can really see the thinking and re-thinking, and the decisions visible in the process. The paper has aged to a warm, creamy hue, which softens the contrast of the graphite lines and adds a sense of nostalgia. Notice the way the artist uses short, choppy lines to describe the texture of the horse's coat, versus the long continuous lines used to outline the rider's figure. The drawing feels alive, but also precarious like it might not be here for long, and the drawing is fading. It's that energy that gets me going. There’s something about the way Schelfhout captures the fleeting moment of performance, that reminds me of Degas's sketches of dancers. They both explore the vulnerability of the figure in motion and the ephemeral nature of art itself. Art’s not about answering questions, it’s about keeping the conversation going.