Recept voor witte wrijfwas 1906 - 1945

This is a page of a notebook by Reijer Stolk, an artist who died in 1945, with notes written in Dutch, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Look at the way the ink bleeds into the paper, a soft grey spreading across the surface. You can almost smell the musty scent of old paper and ink. It’s a reminder that art is not just about the finished product; it’s about the process, the journey, the experiments that happen along the way. I love how Stolk’s handwriting becomes a kind of drawing. It’s as if the words themselves are taking shape, becoming something more than just instructions or ideas. The texture of the paper, the quality of the ink, the pressure of the pen – all these things contribute to the emotional impact of the work. It’s a very human gesture, a moment captured in time. Seeing this, I’m reminded of Cy Twombly, with his scribbled, poetic gestures, and how both artists capture a sense of freedom and spontaneity in their work. It’s like they’re inviting us to embrace ambiguity, to find meaning in the mess, and to see the world in new and unexpected ways.