Naakte vrouw met spiegel en een weegschaal before 1916

Bernard Willem Wierink made this small drawing, 'Naakte vrouw met spiegel en een weegschaal', on paper with pencil and watercolour. The watery washes of colour give the piece an ethereal feel. The nude figure stands blindfolded, holding a mirror aloft in one hand and scales in the other; it’s a dream-like vision of justice, perhaps. The lines are soft, the colours muted – greys, oranges, yellows, mauves – yet there's a quiet strength in the composition. I’m drawn to the base of the figure, which appears to stand on swirling grey clouds. These marks look like soft scribbles which support the figure above. It suggests a foundation built on something insubstantial. Wierink’s work reminds me a bit of Edvard Munch, in the way that he uses colour and form to convey emotion and inner states. Ultimately, art is an ongoing conversation, and Wierink's drawing is a thoughtful contribution to the dialogue.