Vogels in vlucht c. 1920

Johan Antonie de Jonge drew ‘Vogels in vlucht’ with graphite on paper. It’s all very understated, a whisper of a drawing, and I can imagine him outside with his sketchbook. The marks are like shorthand, almost hieroglyphic. I think about the way he looked, the way he moved his hand, following the birds. He’s trying to catch the gesture of their flight, not the birds themselves, but how they move. Are they pigeons? Seagulls? What do you think? The lines quiver with life, and there’s something so alive about that. It’s like the drawing is breathing, just like the birds. Even now, his hand speaks through time and touches mine. We’re all connected, you know? Artists, viewers, birds… and it all started with a simple sketch.