Studie af knælende kvinde der samler kartofler 1907

Othon Friesz made this drawing, Studie af knælende kvinde der samler kartofler, using pen and ink. You can almost feel the artist working through the forms as he tries to capture the weight and shape of the kneeling figure. The lines are bold and scratchy, with layers of hatching and cross-hatching giving depth to the body. It's a tangle of marks but it all comes together to create a sense of volume. Look at the way the lines around the shoulders and back thicken, really giving a sense of the figure’s presence. There's a real rawness to this drawing that reminds me of some of Rodin's sketches, not just in its subject matter, but in the way the pen seems to be searching for the right form, embracing the messiness of the process. The way Friesz renders the form seems to be constantly evolving, a testament to the idea that art is an ongoing conversation, a continuous exploration of form and expression.