Man met gesloten ogen Possibly 1943

Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita made this drawing, 'Man met gesloten ogen' or 'Man with closed eyes', with pen and ink. It's all about the process, isn't it? The artist feeling their way through line after line, guided by instinct and intuition. The drawing has such a raw, immediate quality, almost like a stream-of-consciousness. I am drawn to the contrast between the smooth, bald head of the figure and the hatching which describes the body and the space around him. Look at the way the lines gather and swarm, creating depth and volume, and consider how the density of the marks seems to intensify the emotional weight of the piece. This drawing reminds me a bit of the work of Paul Klee, both artists share a similar interest in the power of line to convey complex emotions and ideas. Ultimately, this piece is a potent reminder that art is not about answers but about the questions we ask along the way.