Dancing Woman n.d.

Pierre-Jacques Volaire created this drawing of a Dancing Woman using white chalk on blue paper. The choice of materials here influences the entire composition, as Volaire skillfully uses the texture and color of the paper to suggest depth and light. Consider the technique: white chalk, applied to the blue ground, creates highlights and volume, giving the figure a soft, ethereal quality. The process of drawing, with its directness and immediacy, allows the artist to capture a fleeting moment of movement. Yet, it is this quality of immediacy that also suggests that the sketch may have been preliminary, a way to work out his ideas before committing them to paint. The sketch does not have the traditional, classical aesthetic of the time. The dancer appears like a working-class citizen, rather than an elite dancer. By focusing on the materials and the making process, we gain a deeper appreciation for this work, and a glimpse into the artist's creative process. It blurs the lines between a simple sketch and the detailed fine art that was produced at the time.