Freddy zit naast haar tante op een bank before 1948

Hans Borrebach made this drawing of Freddy and her aunt, on what looks like paper, with ink and maybe some watercolor. I love how economical the marks are, like the bare minimum needed to conjure up a scene. Check out the sofa, all angles and flat planes, it’s less about the thing itself and more about the idea of a sofa. And the framing on the wall – a ghost of a rectangle. I think it shows how Borrebach thought about the process of drawing as a means of suggestion. The bodies too, rendered with quick, decisive strokes, but the hands especially, are so gently clasped. It’s as if the essence of the relationship is captured with the least amount of fuss. It reminds me of some of Marlene Dumas’ portraits, where a few lines can convey a whole world of emotion, where leaving things out can say so much more.