Staande figuur op hakken met in zijn linkerhand zijn hoed, terwijl hij zijn rechterhand omhoog houdt c. 1936 - 1940

Editor: So, we’re looking at "Standing Figure on Heels, Holding his Hat in his Left Hand While Raising his Right Hand," a pencil drawing by Henk Henriët from somewhere between 1936 and 1940. It's… charmingly awkward, wouldn't you say? There’s something theatrical about the pose, but the rendering is so light and tentative. What do you see in it? Curator: Awkwardly charming indeed! It’s like catching a fleeting thought, a costume sketch half-remembered. For me, it speaks volumes about the creative process itself, that little dance between intention and execution. He's reaching, isn't he? Reaching for something just beyond his grasp… perhaps the perfect line, the definitive form? Editor: A perfect line just out of reach! I like that. It does feel like a very personal exploration, like something from a sketchbook. Curator: Precisely! And think about those heels…slightly incongruous, aren't they? This makes me wonder who he was, this figure. What was he reaching *for*, I mean, in life? Henriët has given him a playful side, as well as making the sketch intriguing! I find myself wondering about the stories within him that this quick rendering couldn't hope to express. What kind of character do you imagine? Editor: Hmmm... A dreamer, maybe? A bit of a dandy, clearly! Someone who aspires to something grander than their current situation. Curator: I’m glad you noticed his flair for dramatic presentation... perhaps he wants a stage role or to charm someone out of arm's reach... Now, do you find it melancholic? Optimistic? A bit of both, perhaps? Editor: Definitely a bit of both! Thanks, I see the figure in heels differently now, almost tragicomic, with the emphasis more on hopeful than awkward. Curator: Wonderful! That tension is what makes it stay with you, isn't it? Sometimes the sketches – the quick ideas – hold a truth more lasting than any polished canvas. Editor: I’ll definitely be spending more time in front of sketches from now on!