Vrouw en een hond c. 1901 - 1927

Johan Antonie de Jonge made this drawing of a woman and a dog using what looks like charcoal or maybe conté crayon, though I can't see the original, so it's hard to tell. The repeated marks give the impression that the artist was really thinking through seeing, like a sculptor who’s trying to understand the form from all angles. The lines are scrubby, loose, and free. Look at how the darkest marks define the dog's form, almost like a shadow made solid. Then there are these lighter scribbles everywhere else, creating a sense of air and space around the figures, like the air itself has volume. See that shape near the dog? It kind of looks like a figure, but it is probably just a chair. It reminds me of late Guston. Not because it looks like Guston, but because it embraces the potential of the mark. Both artists show us that art is not about answers, but about an ongoing engagement with the messiness of life and perception.