Omlaag kijkend kind 1883 - 1922

This is "Omlaag kijkend kind," or "Child Looking Down," by Johanna van de Kamer, and it's a very sensitive, economical drawing. It's so pared back isn't it? Just brown crayon or pencil on paper. You can really imagine Van de Kamer sketching quickly to catch the essence of the little one. I like that it's so clearly a study - we see those swift, repeated lines defining the form of her dress, and the soft hatching of the hair. You feel like you can sense the child's absorption in something unseen, maybe a toy or something on the floor. It's a drawing made with such empathy – a quiet moment of looking and recording a child in thought. In a funny way, it reminds me of a Morandi, you know, that sense of intimacy and stillness. It’s like artists are always whispering to each other across time. We are all just trying to figure out how to really see, right?