Pianospelende man 1906 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this drawing of a piano player with pencil on paper at an unknown date. I love the quickness of the line. It's like the drawing is trying to keep up with the music. The surface is raw paper, no fancy stretching or priming here. The line is thin, almost tentative, but confident in its overall sweep. Look how the curves of the piano and the man's body are suggested with so little information. It’s all about implication, not declaration. The artist is letting us fill in the gaps. There's a really beautiful mark under the piano that makes me think of a person sitting nearby listening to the music. In a way, this drawing reminds me of Guston's late, scribbly style, but with a gentler touch. It's a reminder that art is always a conversation, an echo of voices across time. And like a good piece of music, it leaves you with more questions than answers.