Meisje met modder op haar been 1917 - 1970

Adrie Vürtheim made this drawing, "Meisje met modder op haar been," with ink on paper, and its linear quality reminds me of graphic illustration. I imagine the quick flicks of the wrist as she rendered the puddles on the street and the bobbed haircuts of the young women. I'm feeling for Vürtheim as she worked on this piece, maybe trying to capture a fleeting moment of childhood curiosity and the minor dramas of everyday life. The simple monochromatic palette emphasizes the crispness of the line work, each stroke deliberate, defining the forms and textures of the scene. Check out the varied patterns of the clothing - each is unique. See the girl pointing? What is she saying? Vürtheim's drawing style here is consistent with other artists of her time; there's a shared vocabulary that speaks to the power of the image. Artists, you know, they're always looking, always sharing, always building on each other’s work. Painting is like an ongoing conversation. It’s about what’s said and what’s left unsaid. It embraces not knowing.