Jongen met brandslang op straat c. 1925 - 1935

This ink drawing is by A. Tinbergen, and it shows a boy playing with a firehose on the street. The artist has used traditional materials, and combined them in an intriguing way. The drawing has a charming handmade quality: it almost seems as if the artist wanted to retain the pleasure of the materials themselves. Note how the weight of the water is suggested by the curving hose. The artist is really thinking about the everyday physics of the scene. The urban architecture in the background looks rather like a stage set, as if conjured in a child's imagination. By focusing on these ordinary, unspectacular materials, Tinbergen invites us to consider not just the final image, but the entire social context in which the work was created. This emphasis on materials, making, and context is essential to understanding the artwork's full meaning, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.