Doortje en gezelschap steken een brug over before 1940

Rein van Looy made this pen drawing, Doortje en gezelschap steken een brug over, with ink on paper. The artist takes a graphic approach to the making of this image, using a black pen to create contrasting lines that define the characters and landscape. This is a great example of how black and white alone can still suggest texture, depth, and mood through mark making. The piece reminds me of vintage comic books. The bold use of the pen, creating areas of solidity, as well as delicate hatching, all add to the visual richness of the image. I can imagine the artist working methodically, letting each stroke build the image, like a painter with brushstrokes. Look at the tree looming over Doortje – see the way it's rendered with these spiraling marks? It's almost like the tree itself is alive, full of swirling energy. It's a captivating detail. Van Looy reminds me of artists like Alfred Kubin, who also delve into the realms of the strange and surreal. This drawing feels like a fragment of a larger, mysterious narrative.