1922
charcoal
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Quest is a 1922 charcoal by Arthur Bowen Davies, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows a nude figure mid-motion, arms stretched wide and legs bent as if running or leaping. The background is a flat, warm brown, and the lines are loose and sketchy, with some areas erased to soften the form. The figure’s pose is dynamic, with one arm raised and the other bent at the elbow. The artist used quick, rough strokes to suggest movement, leaving some areas darker where the chalk or charcoal piled up. This sketchy style makes the figure feel alive and unfinished. Next, look up scumbling to see how artists create texture with chalk or charcoal.
Arthur Bowen Davies (September 26, 1862 – October 24, 1928) was an avant-garde American artist and influential advocate of modern art in the United States c. 1910–1928.
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