Central Park Bandstand c. 1910

Jerome Myers sketched this scene of Central Park's bandstand using graphite, and it’s all about capturing a moment. It’s like he’s saying, “Here’s what it felt like to be there, hanging out." Look at how he suggests the crowd with just a flurry of marks, almost like static. Then there’s the bandstand itself, drawn with these confident lines that give it structure, but still feel light and airy. That little scribble of lines depicting the two figures in the bottom left-hand corner feels really evocative - those lines have weight. The park itself is rendered by layering thin lines, giving the impression of depth to the image, and creating a soft tonal background. It reminds me of other artists like Everett Shinn, who were also sketching city life, trying to bottle that energy and fleeting beauty. Art isn't about perfection, it's about feeling. And that is precisely what this sketch achieves.