De trap des levens 1922

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst made this drawing, titled "De trap des levens," which translates to "The stairs of life," and it looks like it was made with crayon and charcoal. The colours are muted and chalky; the artist has clearly enjoyed the texture of the medium. The surface is built up through layered strokes, creating a sense of depth and movement within the composition. Holst’s approach feels like a meditation on form and feeling. Looking at the charcoal marks around the border I see a rough, almost impatient application, which contrasts with the softer lines of the figures. It's as if the artist is searching for the right way to frame this tender moment. The colours and rendering remind me of stained glass or mosaic, and I think of other artists who experimented with graphic forms, such as the Symbolist painter, Edvard Munch. Like Munch, Holst seems to embrace ambiguity and multiple interpretations over fixed meanings. The subject matter is somewhat ambiguous - which allows us to consider the work as an exploration of human relationships, rather than a specific event.