Vrouw achter naaimachine 1881 - 1925

Herman Heijenbrock made this charcoal drawing, Vrouw achter naaimachine, with what seems like an urgency of mark, a building up of tone in the clothing and the sewing machine itself. There is a real sense of Heijenbrock feeling his way into the image. The build up of charcoal creates a hazy atmosphere, not only does it create a sense of the industrial setting but it gives the impression of a memory; a faded scene recalled. The woman’s hands are very softly drawn as if they are in motion, they become a blur of marks amongst the sharper lines of the machine. Her dress is almost sculpted in tone, the darks and lights creating a dimensional form. This tonal approach reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz, another artist who used charcoal to capture the realities of labour and working-class life. The image isn’t pinned down, it breathes. The artist allows for ambiguity in the image and gives the scene a dreamlike quality.