Buste de femme 

Editor: Here we have "Buste de femme," a drawing by Narcisse-Virgilio Diaz, crafted with pencil and charcoal. It has a very subtle and delicate quality; what stands out to me most is the artist’s incredibly fine linework to create the shading, almost giving a sense of veiled mystery to the figure. What are your initial thoughts on the drawing? Curator: The delicacy of the drawing invites a very close looking to understand its formal arrangement. Note the economy of line, the purposeful distribution of tone that models the figure with very little modeling on the empty backgound. Diaz guides the eye primarily through a contrast between areas of intense detail and very light sketching. Observe how the hand seems to reach towards the light. What do you notice about its relationship to the face and torso? Editor: Well, the positioning of the hand really emphasizes the downward gaze. The delicate shading makes it difficult to distinguish some contours, yet that same effect gives her a serene quality. Almost as if the physical world is not the point of her attention. Curator: Precisely. Diaz uses the softness of the charcoal and pencil to create an introspective mood and invite the viewer to find harmony of composition in a limited palette. How would you describe the way Diaz utilizes negative space in creating this effect? Editor: The blank canvas really frames the form, accentuating it. Perhaps if there were more detail around it, it would seem as if she were posing. In this context, it's more as if we caught her unaware. Curator: A keen observation. Indeed, it’s Diaz's arrangement of simple graphic elements of positive and negative space, along with its delicate shading, which generates the aesthetic meaning. It seems we agree the art reveals much through reduction, achieving subtle and beautiful complexity. Editor: It really highlights the way Diaz was able to maximize his effect through subtle use of his materials, and considered construction of the form and negative space. I'll be sure to look more at those decisions when looking at drawings in the future!