Vergissing Possibly 1905

"Vergissing", or "Mistake", is an undated print made by an anonymous artist using ink on paper. The crisp lines and stark contrast remind me of early cartoons, or maybe even the rough sketches you'd find in an old newspaper. See how the artist uses simple hatching to create shadows? It’s like they're thinking out loud with their pen, letting the ink spill and pool in certain areas. It's this kind of transparency that I find so compelling. I love how the artist's hand is so present, it's almost like you can feel the energy of their movements. The way the figures are drawn, with those exaggerated expressions and gestures, makes you wonder if they're in on a joke or caught in some kind of misunderstanding. It’s like a snapshot of a chaotic scene, full of life and movement. There's a similar spirit of playful experimentation in the work of artists like George Grosz, who used caricature and satire to comment on society. With this piece, there's no neat and tidy conclusion, just a whole lot of open-ended possibilities.