Figuren op het strand c. 1920

Johan Antonie de Jonge made this drawing, Figuren op het strand, with graphite on paper. There's something so immediate and process-oriented about a drawing like this, a direct connection to the artist's hand. Look at how de Jonge uses line to suggest form and movement. The texture of the graphite on paper creates a grainy surface, almost like the sand itself. The lines are so light, so tentative, like he's feeling his way through the scene. It’s like he's trying to capture the essence of the beach, the people, the atmosphere. In the lower left corner, the marks are almost scribbled, a flurry of energy. This reminds me a little of the drawings of someone like Picasso, especially his studies where he's just working out ideas. It’s all about capturing a fleeting moment, an impression. Art’s not about fixed meanings but about embracing the ambiguity and the conversation between the artist and the world.