Zieke jongen op schoot bij een man 1885 - 1931

Frederika Henriëtte Broeksmit made this drawing of a man holding a child, with pencil on paper. It's like a whisper of a drawing, so delicate. I'm thinking about her hand moving across the paper, those subtle gradations of tone, so precise. Look at the faces, that focused gaze; it feels intimate and melancholic. I see an echo of Käthe Kollwitz in the artist's desire to express care and concern for the human condition. The artist knew how to handle a pencil. I admire the confidence of the artist's line and the way she suggests form with such economy. It's like a dance between light and shadow, isn't it?