Portret van (vermoedelijk) Hans Martin before 1949

Here's a sketch of a man with a hat, likely made with pencil or charcoal on paper, and even though the artist is anonymous, they signed it ‘Halwichert, Bandung, 25 April ‘32’. I love how the face emerges from a field of shade, and the delicate lines that define the contours of his face, that suggest light and depth. You get the sense that the artist was trying to capture the essence of a person. I can almost imagine the artist sitting across from their subject, maybe in a bustling café in Bandung, quickly sketching this portrait. The immediacy of the line conveys a sense of intimacy, as if we’re catching a glimpse of a private moment. Artists are always in conversation with each other, riffing on ideas across time. This drawing reminds us that art is an ongoing process, a way of seeing and feeling, more than arriving at fixed conclusions.