Bovenlichaam van een naakte figuur 1906 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this drawing of a nude torso sometime before 1945. It's a graphite pencil drawing that's very light and sketchy. I see a light touch, with many light lines moving in the same direction, building up the form of the figure. These short, diagonal strokes create a sense of volume and mass, but they also leave plenty of space for light and air to circulate around the figure. You can see that Stolk is paying attention to the way light falls across the body, creating subtle gradations of tone. I wonder what it was like for Stolk to sit and make this drawing. Was he working quickly, trying to capture a fleeting impression? Or was he more interested in exploring the underlying structure of the figure? Either way, you get the sense of someone really thinking about how to represent the human body on paper. These sorts of exercises, as well as the more 'finished' works are so important in any artist's practice.