Omlaag kijkend kind 1883 - 1922

Johanna van de Kamer made this drawing, titled 'Omlaag kijkend kind', with a brown crayon or pencil. Isn't it beautiful? The lines have a scratchy, searching quality, and it's clear that Van de Kamer was interested in the process of finding the form of the child through repeated marks, rather than rendering a perfect likeness. What could be described as mistakes or corrections in a more traditional drawing are left visible here. I love the way the crayon picks up the texture of the paper – the tooth of it – creating a kind of halo around the image. This adds to the sense of intimacy, like a half-forgotten memory. Look at the way the child’s hands are just suggested, almost disappearing into the blank space of the page. The whole drawing feels like a fleeting impression, not quite complete, more like a feeling than a description. Looking at this work, I can't help but think of Paula Modersohn-Becker and her tender, yet unsentimental, depictions of childhood. Both artists share an interest in capturing the weight and reality of everyday experience, rather than idealizing their subjects.