Portret van een man c. 1916

Reijer Stolk made this drawing of a man, with pencil on paper. The artist's hand moved rapidly, capturing the man's features with quick, decisive marks. Look at the shading above his eyes and hair, it's like a series of hatches. What was Stolk thinking, when he made those lines? Did he want to capture the essence of this person, or was he simply exploring form and shadow? The man's gaze is intense, yet there's a sense of vulnerability. It reminds me of other portrait drawings by artists like Lucian Freud. There’s a similar honesty in the way the subjects are rendered. And, the quick, gestural lines are reminiscent of Egon Schiele’s drawings. It’s like artists are in constant dialogue across time, picking up on each other’s ideas and pushing them further. This drawing invites us to engage in a conversation, to contemplate the many facets of human experience.