Undressed Art
Why We Draw
To draw is to understand what we see. In The Undressed Art, writer-naturalist Peter Steinhart investigates the rituals, struggles, and joys of drawing. Reflecting on what is known about the brain’s role in the drawing process, Steinhart explores the visual learning curve: how children begin to draw, how most of them stop, and what brings adults back to this deeply human art form later in life. He considers why the face and figure are such commanding subjects and describes the delicate collaboration of the artist and model. Here is a powerful reminder that no revolution in art or technology can undermine our vital need to draw.
Peter Steinhart is a naturalist and a writer. For 12 years he was an editor and columnist at Audubon, and his work has appeared in Harper’s, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, and Sierra. He has twice been a finalist for a National Magazine Award, and his essays have been widely anthologized. He has published four books, among them The Company of Wolves and Undressed Art: Why We Draw. He lives and draws in Palo Alto, California.
Undressed Art
Peter Steinhart