Kleermaker aan het werk op een zolderkamer 1881 - 1925

This is a drawing by Herman Heijenbrock, called "Tailor at Work in an Attic Room," and what strikes me is the way the light is used to pull you in, it's like a silent movie playing out. You see the tailor there, cross-legged, and the soft, smudgy quality of the charcoal. It’s all about texture, not just in the way the material of his suit is rendered, but also in the very air of the attic. I’m drawn to the way the light catches on the little teacup and the curve of the kettle, it’s like a tiny spotlight in this quiet drama. You can almost feel the quiet focus of the tailor, measuring and cutting. It reminds me of some of Paula Modersohn-Becker's more intimate interior scenes, especially in the way it captures the dignity and quiet beauty of everyday life. It’s a reminder that art is often about finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, and about how the simple act of looking can transform the world around us.