Twee hand in hand lopende meisjes met een bolderkar c. 1922 - 1925

Otto Verhagen made this drawing of two young girls with graphite on paper. Look at how freely the artist uses the hatching strokes of graphite to define the figures. I wonder if the girls are sisters? The older one appears responsible, she has a suitcase on wheels, maybe they are running away, off on an adventure! What strikes me is the artist’s ability to capture the weight of the figures, which is achieved through the use of shadowing and careful placement of tone. You can almost feel the sun beating down on the girls and the dust on the road in this deceptively simple drawing. These material qualities communicate a particular feeling and intention, and the careful marks describe so much about these characters. Artists are always in dialogue with one another across time. They build upon each other's techniques and methods. It reminds us that art is never created in isolation.