Zieke jongen op schoot bij een man 1885 - 1931

Frederika Henriëtte Broeksmit made this drawing of a man holding a child, with pencil on paper. Look at the marks, the smudges, the layering of lines, it feels tender. The artist’s hand is present in a way that feels really intimate, you know? It’s like you can see the push and pull, the back and forth of the creative process, right there on the page. The hatching on the man’s shirt is so evocative. It’s like the artist is building up the form with these tiny, repetitive marks. The faces are softly rendered, with more detail given to the man, who has a tired, but serene expression. The child looks fragile, but also peaceful, nestled in the man's arms. It reminds me a bit of Paula Modersohn-Becker, in the way it captures the everyday moments with so much emotion. You get the sense that Frederika Henriëtte Broeksmit wasn't trying to create something perfect or polished. Instead, she was capturing a fleeting moment, a feeling. Art is often about trying to pin down these elusive things, these in-between moments.