Jongen en meisje verzamelen takken en bladeren 1895 - 1950

Nelly Spoor made this black-ink drawing of a boy and a girl gathering branches and leaves; you can almost see her hand working, hatching lines, one after another. The artist’s hand is visible in every stroke, isn't it? I can imagine Spoor bent over her drawing table, thinking about the nature of childhood, and what it means to be a child in nature, her pen dancing across the surface. Her hand seems to have been moving really quickly, and it is so rhythmic! Look at how she renders the leaves in a swirling pattern—it's more than just a visual representation; it’s an active engagement with the world. I wonder if Spoor had specific children in mind, maybe memories from her own childhood, or from observing children in her life. Making art can be an act of remembering or holding onto the past, while also looking forward. Spoor contributes to the collective conversation about childhood and our relationship to nature.