Boei op het water 1933 - 1937

Otto Verhagen created this pencil sketch of a buoy on the water in 1933. There’s a beautiful economy to the way Verhagen deploys a simple line to conjure the scene. It's almost as if the drawing is an echo of the buoy itself, a marker bobbing on the surface. The texture of the paper plays a big part, doesn't it? It allows the pencil marks to catch, creating a subtle grit that brings a tactile quality to the image. The buoy emerges from the water with quick, dark strokes, while the water itself is suggested with lighter, more fluid lines. Notice how the reflections are almost little jabs, giving the water a life of its own. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's work; not in style, but in that shared love for the raw, unmediated mark. This sketch feels like a fleeting moment captured, a brief encounter with the sea.