Paardenmarkt 1913 - 1945

Henk Henriët made this drawing, *Paardenmarkt*, with pencil on paper. It’s all about gesture, a dance of lines that bring horses and people to life. The marks are quick, almost nervous, each one feeling like a thought caught in motion. Look at how Henriët captures the weight of the horses with just a few strokes, especially around their hindquarters. You can almost feel the mass of their bodies, the way they stand solid and still. And then there are the people, sketched in with such economy. The lines describing the man's coat and hat are so simple, yet they tell you everything you need to know. It reminds me a little of Daumier, that same interest in everyday life, the same ability to find beauty in the mundane. Henriët, like Daumier, understands that art isn't about perfection, it's about capturing a feeling, an impression, a fleeting moment in time. It's this embrace of the imperfect, the unfinished, that makes the work so alive.