Koning Nobel schenkt Reinaert de vrijheid 1866 - 1939

Bernard Willem Wierink made this drawing, "Koning Nobel schenkt Reinaert de vrijheid," with pen and brush in the late 19th or early 20th century. It’s all about the storytelling for me, and how that story is translated through line and wash. I love the scratchy quality of the marks here. Look at the way the lion’s mane is rendered – a kind of controlled scribble. It’s like Wierink is thinking through the form, letting the pen wander and find its way. The washes of color, that muted palette, give it a dreamlike quality. Nothing’s too precious, which makes it feel so alive. That looseness is what gets me. The whole thing has a kind of medieval tapestry vibe, but with a modern sensibility. Wierink reminds me of artists like James Ensor, who were also playing with these kinds of archaic, allegorical themes in a really personal way. It’s a reminder that art is always a conversation, a remix of what’s come before.