Jonge vogel 1919 - 1929

Frederika Henriëtte Broeksmit drew this young bird, 'Jonge Vogel', with charcoal in 1939. It’s all about the delicate dance between the charcoal and the paper. There’s a beautiful economy of means here, a real tenderness in the way Broeksmit captures the bird’s vulnerability. The soft greys and blacks create a gentle, almost hazy atmosphere around the little creature. Look at the way the charcoal is smudged and blended, especially around the bird’s downy feathers - it is like she is trying to protect it. And then there are these sharp, decisive lines that define the beak and claws, giving it a sense of presence. The awkward stance of the bird somehow evokes Degas' dancers, caught in a moment of pre-flight hesitation. Both artists share this sense of capturing fleeting moments, inviting us to contemplate the beauty in the everyday. Art is always echoing and riffing on what’s come before, an ongoing conversation across time. Broeksmit’s drawing is all about gesture and feeling, more of a question than a statement.