Studieblad met figuren 1881 - 1927

Johan Antonie de Jonge made this sketch of figures, probably in his studio, using graphite on paper. It’s all about the quick and dirty, right? Look at the urgency in those lines. The way the artist is just grabbing the image, pulling it out of the air. The marks feel immediate, like the charcoal is barely touching the paper. Some smudging, some quick hatching – it’s all about process here, seeing how the artist is thinking through the figures, finding their form with each stroke. I like the way the figures at the bottom have been smudged with the finger. It's like they are disappearing. Are they ghosts? Are they just a memory? The artist’s hand is present, not just in the making of the marks, but in their erasure too. This reminds me of work by Paula Rego, where the sketch-like quality is visible in the final image, making us think about the nature of memory, touch and time. What do you think?