Vrouw met twee kinderen langs de waterkant 1881 - 1927

Johan Antonie de Jonge made this watercolor sketch of a family by the shore without fixed dates, but it feels like a fleeting moment captured in time. The muted blues and greens are overlaid with decisive marks in charcoal. I love how the sketchiness makes space for imagination! Look at the lower left corner, how the charcoal scribbles resolve into a bank, or how the subtle color washes denote the surface of the water! The paint is thinly applied in layers, almost transparent, but De Jonge allows areas of the paper to remain untouched. The forms are not meticulously defined, yet the narrative is clear. This resonates with Impressionists like Manet, who also prized the immediacy of the painted gesture. Ultimately, this piece reminds us that art is about capturing impressions rather than delivering concrete statements.