Charlotte en Maria by Gordinne

1894 - 1959

Charlotte en Maria

Gordinne's Profile Picture

Gordinne

@gordinne

Location

Rijksmuseum

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Curatorial notes

This is Charlotte en Maria by Gordinne, a print with lithography, made at an unknown date. The colours are what grab you first, these soft greens, reds and browns, like an old, faded photograph, or a memory. It gives the whole thing a nostalgic, gentle feeling. It's fascinating how Gordinne uses line to define shapes, but also to create texture, like the scratchy lines that fill the donkey. You can almost feel the coarseness of its hair. There's a looseness to the drawing, a kind of charming awkwardness. The figures are slightly off, not quite proportional, but that adds to the picture’s folksy quality. The image of the girl on the donkey makes me think of Henri Rousseau's naive style, the way he painted people and animals with a kind of innocence. Ultimately, this print reminds us that art isn't about perfection; it's about expression and the stories we tell.