Standing female nude, left leg raised 1920

This drawing, "Standing female nude, left leg raised" is by Rupert Bunny, we don’t have a date for it, and it's rendered in pencil. It's interesting how much he suggests with so little! A seemingly simple outline becomes a whole world of form and potential. There's a tenderness in the touch. The marks are light and suggestive. It's like he's feeling his way around the figure, searching for the right contours. Look at the way the line thickens and thins. In places it almost disappears. The way Bunny draws the back, the slight curve of the spine, it’s a beautiful, subtle gesture. It reminds me a little of Matisse's drawings, a similar kind of elegant simplicity, or perhaps even Rodin. Ultimately, this drawing reminds us that art is not about perfection, but about the process of seeing and feeling.