Twee handen 1710 - 1772

Petrus Johannes van Reysschoot made these two studies of hands using red chalk on paper. Chalk is a humble material, of course – just compressed pigment. But in the hands of a skilled draughtsman like Reysschoot, it can capture the subtlest nuances of form. Notice how the artist coaxes out the volumes of the hands through subtle gradations of tone. He’s applying pressure to the chalk to build up deeper shadows, and lifting it lightly to suggest reflected light. It’s a dialogue between material and hand, really – the artist surrendering some control to the inherent qualities of the chalk itself. These drawings weren’t meant as finished artworks. Rather, they were preparatory studies. Reysschoot was thinking through the challenge of rendering hands convincingly. It’s fascinating to see this process laid bare. In this case, the means of production is the art. We get to see not only the what, but the how. That’s a window into the artist's creative thought.