Handschoen van gevoerde grijze wasleer c. 1900 - 1915

These gloves, made of soft grey leather, live at the Rijksmuseum. Imagine someone, long ago, carefully stitching these, finger by finger. The grey leather is like a muted canvas. I think about the person who wore these, maybe on a cold day, their hands snug inside. Did they tap a table nervously, or hold a lover's face? When I look at these gloves, I think about the feel of leather against skin. The way it molds and changes, tells a story. There’s a tenderness to the process of making something so personal. Even though the maker is unknown, their intention to protect and comfort is evident. I see the gloves as a silent collaboration between maker and wearer. Artists, like this unknown maker, are always speaking to each other across time. These gloves remind me that even everyday objects can carry deep emotion and meaning. Painting, like glove-making, is a way of expressing ourselves, with all its beautiful uncertainties.