De kwakzalver 1913

Christiaan Maria Dewald made this artwork called ‘De kwakzalver’ and the monochrome palette gives a sense of nostalgia, like a memory fading at the edges. The texture is intriguing; it feels like Dewald has built up layers, creating depth within this limited tonal range. Notice the figure with the wheelbarrow in the lower right, the artist has focused on this figure, making him more pronounced by creating stronger contrast in the tones. The rest of the piece is deliberately soft and muted. It’s almost as if that character is a comment on the work’s own process of emergence. The artmaking process itself can be a kind of trickery, right? Creating illusions, suggesting narratives. It reminds me a little of the work of Honoré Daumier, who was also interested in social commentary and capturing the everyday lives of people. Art is a conversation, it’s a way of seeing and thinking that keeps evolving.