The Improvisation of the Woman Dancing
Datenot dated
Artist
Abraham Walkowitz
(American painter and printmaker, 1878–1965)
MediumGraphite on wove paper
Dimensionssheet: 12 15/16 × 8 7/16 in. (32.9 × 21.4 cm)
Credit LineAnonymous gift, 1959
Object number1959-14
On View
Not on viewClassificationsDRAWING
Label TextIt was never easy to coax Isadora Duncan into a photographer’s studio. Like a wild and wise animal, she fled from those who sought to capture the essence of her—which was motion—by making her stand still. Max Eastman
In his many studies of Isadora Duncan (1877-1927), Walkowitz attempted to capture the spirit of the dancer in motion. The artist used sinuous lines to convey her graceful movements. Walkowitz’s sleek and simplified image seems appropriate to his subject, who is often credited with the invention of modern dance. Duncan’s performances inspired countless modern artists—not only dancers, but also painters, sculptors, photographers and poets—who celebrated the dancer’s revolt against conventional morality and behavior.
