Sketchbook: El Golea, II
Jean Dubuffet
French, 1901–1985
1948
An ink-on-paper sketch from Jean Dubuffet’s 1948 sketchbook that tries to capture a single, immediate impression of a robed, slightly comic figure through quick, unrefined marks.
You first notice the economy of the pen—round, bearded face beneath a wrapped cap, a sweeping cloak drawn with parallel strokes and a theatrical stance finished by birdlike feet and splayed hands, giving the figure a curious blend of humor and oddity.
This small drawing reflects Dubuffet’s move toward art brut and his deliberate rejection of polished finish, helping to introduce a raw, primitive expressiveness that influenced postwar European art.
Medium
Ink on paper
Dimensions
6 1/2 x 2 5/8" (16.5 x 6.7 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of the artist
Accession
1333.1968.43
Palette
Exhibitions
