Vrouwenkop met half gesloten ogen in profiel naar links Possibly 1943

Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita made this drawing of a woman’s head with ink on paper. Look at how the lines create form, shadow and depth. The mark making feels immediate and intuitive. I’m really drawn to the contrast between the areas of dense, almost frantic lines, and the open, blank spaces. It's a dance between presence and absence. Those intense, tightly packed lines around the face—they give the figure a kind of nervous energy, like the thoughts are buzzing around her head. Then, the expanses of untouched paper. It’s almost like breath. A pause for reflection. De Mesquita reminds me a little of Alfred Kubin, with the emphasis on simple lines and the somewhat haunting imagery. Both artists, each in their own way, invite us to embrace uncertainty. Instead of trying to pin down one single meaning, they let the conversation open up.