Dennenbos, met twee wandelende dames 1892 - 1916

Rik Wouters made this drawing, Dennenbos, met twee wandelende dames, with ink on paper. Those decisive, sweeping lines! I love how the artist has captured the essence of a pine forest with such a minimal approach. I can almost feel the scratch of the pen as it maps out the scene. He’s got a whole world of textures here, from the rough bark of the trees to the soft rustle of the leaves. I’m thinking he was likely trying to distill a moment, a fleeting impression of light filtering through the trees, the quiet companionship of the two women walking—all translated into these confident strokes. In this type of work, drawing becomes a choreography, a back-and-forth between intention and chance. Wouters must have been so present in the act of drawing, each mark informed by the one before it. It's cool how artists build on each other's work across time. These drawings open space for all kinds of thinking and feeling.