Spinning Dancer, 1908

This drawing by the Belgian artist George Minne (1866–1941) unleashes a veritable whirl of lines, pulling the abundance of fabric into a spiral-shaped movement which takes the dancer, her hair and lowered head with it. Minne was not only a sculptor. During his early career, especially, he created drawings and book illustrations which were favorably received, and for which he was initially more esteemed than for his unusual and at times unsettling sculptures. The success that came with his works being featured in several exhibitions at the Vienna Secession from 1900 brought with it an international appreciation of his oeuvre. The Belgian artist and Austrian exponents of Jugendstil did not fail to inspire one another. The drawing is carried by the soft, energetic lines.

AK, 2021