Kop van een muilezel te Tanger 1902

This small graphite drawing of a mule's head in Tangier by Jac van Looij is all about the expressive power of line. You can almost feel the artist circling around the subject, trying to capture its essence with each stroke. I can imagine him sitting there, squinting in the North African light, trying to get it down, the planes of the face, the set of the jaw. It’s a study, a quick impression, a flurry of marks that cohere into something solid. The lines are hatched and layered, giving the mule a sense of volume and weight. There are darker areas of shading around the eye, the neck and ear that bring out the form and texture, and a very striking contrast with the blank part of the paper. It reminds me of some of the quick sketches artists like Delacroix would make when travelling. It's like a visual note, a fleeting moment captured with such immediacy. It's a reminder that drawing is a way of thinking, of seeing, and of feeling your way into the world.