Figuren op de bloemen- en plantenmarkt te Brussel 1930 - 1938

This black and white drawing of figures at a flower market in Brussels was made by Otto Verhagen. I love the casualness of it. It’s almost like Verhagen was sitting at a café, sketching these people as they went about their day. I think of Verhagen with his pencil, quickly capturing the woman in her simple dress, the guy with the cigarette, and the stacks of flowers in baskets. These marks are quick, confident, and almost like shorthand for the real thing. You can see the history of drawing in this work, all the ways that artists have tried to capture a sense of movement and life with just a few lines. Look at the way he suggests depth with just a bit of shading. It reminds me of other artists who worked in sketchbooks, like Van Gogh, who were always observing and trying to understand the world through drawing. It’s like they’re all talking to each other across time, sharing ideas about how to see.