Naakte man, knielend op één knie 1906 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this drawing of a nude man kneeling with a pencil. The light touch of the pencil on paper gives it a provisional feel, like a thought caught in the process of becoming. You can almost feel the artist finding the form as he goes, building up the figure with these delicate, tentative lines. There’s something vulnerable about the way the man is kneeling, and the sketchy quality of the drawing only adds to that sense of fragility. The lines around the face are quite harsh, scribbled almost, perhaps this is where Stolk focused his attention. It reminds me of other artists who used drawing to explore the human form, like Rodin, though Stolk has his own distinct voice. Art's just this ongoing conversation, right? Each artist riffing on what came before, trying to say something new. Ultimately, it's up to us to find our own meaning in it.