Figuren zittend in een interieur, mogelijk van een café 1906 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this drawing of figures seated in what may be a café at some point in his short life. Look at how he sets up the space with just a few lines, leaving so much to the imagination. It is the barest suggestion of a composition, like he is thinking aloud with his pencil. The lines are thin and delicate, never quite closing, so the forms remain open and fluid. It feels honest and spontaneous. Look at the shapes he is finding. There is a figure in the lower left that almost seems to float. This reminds me a little of Picasso’s sketches. You can sense Stolk is looking for the essential structures of form, but not trying to tie things down too much. He leaves room for the unexpected, like a conversation that goes in unpredictable directions. This openness is so important to art. It keeps the work alive, inviting us to participate in the ongoing process of discovery.