Schrijvende hand 1884 - 1952

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this piece, Schrijvende hand, using ink and paper. Look at the way the ink is laid down, thick in some places and scratchy in others. It gives the drawing a real sense of immediacy, as if the artist captured the image in a fleeting moment. I love how the black ink creates these bold, graphic shapes, almost like a woodcut. But then, you get closer, and you see the delicate lines of the hand, the subtle shading that gives it form. There's something very satisfying about the contrast between the solid black areas and the fine, almost hesitant lines. It feels like the artist is exploring the act of creation itself, the tension between intention and accident. The gesture of the hand is so simple, yet it speaks volumes about the power of writing, the act of putting thoughts into words. Maybe this piece is a cousin to the bold graphics of someone like Emil Ruder? Ultimately, it's the ambiguities and questions that make this artwork so compelling.