Bovenbeen en een rug in profiel 1906

Reijer Stolk made this drawing of a thigh and back in profile using pencil on paper. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the paper, the pencil scratching and gliding to capture the curve of a body. I wonder what it was like for Stolk to make this drawing? There's a real tenderness in the way he’s rendered the model's form. You can see the influence of other artists, like Matisse, in the simplicity and elegance of the lines. Notice the subtle shading and cross-hatching that give the figure depth and volume. There’s a feeling that he’s searching for the right line. It's a reminder that artists are always in conversation with each other, drawing inspiration from the past and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. And just as Stolk’s mark-making breathes life into this two-dimensional form, so too can our engagement with art transform our understanding of the world around us.