Zittende naakte jongen met opgeheven arm 1878 - 1938

This is a drawing of a nude young man with raised arm by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst, made with graphite. Look at how the artist lays down the lines. It's all about building up the form gradually, a bit tentative, searching for the right shape and volume. There’s no hiding of the process here. It’s like we're seeing the artist think through the act of drawing, adjusting lines to find the final pose. The texture is fascinating. The smudgy, soft shading creates a sense of depth and shadow, while the harder lines give definition to the contours of the body. See the hatching around the torso and legs? It’s a mix of light and dark that adds dimension and a tactile quality. This is similar to some of Käthe Kollwitz's drawings where line work creates a sense of raw emotion, inviting us to contemplate the human condition through the simple act of mark-making. Ultimately art is always ambiguous, there is no single 'right' way of seeing a work.