Sketch of a foot II 1983

Edwin Austin Abbey sketched this foot in charcoal, and it's the kind of drawing that makes you think about looking, and how we see. I imagine him, charcoal in hand, circling, observing, trying to capture not just the shape of the foot, but its essence. It is all about mark-making, smudging, and the push-and-pull of light and shadow. I feel that you can sense the artist searching to find a solid form, it appears as if he built it up bit by bit. The drawing has a life of its own. The bold outlines, the soft shading, and the way the charcoal catches the light... it's like he's trying to figure out what a foot really is. The drawing stands up as something complete, even though it is just a sketch. It reminds us that art isn't about perfection; it's about the process, the looking, the questioning. I think that all artists engage in a kind of conversation across time, riffing off each other’s ideas, and it's exciting to be part of that dialogue.