Boom 1884 - 1927

Johan Antonie de Jonge’s pencil drawing presents a study in composition, using minimal elements to suggest a spatial environment. The cream tone of the paper dominates, providing a blank canvas against which the sketched forms take shape. These shapes are concentrated on the right side of the work, evoking an immediate tension through the balance of positive and negative space. The structural form of the drawing hinges on the vertical strokes defining the tree, or 'boom' as the title suggests. The marks on the right are loose and fragmented, allowing light to visually permeate the image. De Jonge’s application creates a contrast between solid and dissolving forms, which destabilizes the tree. The drawing operates as a kind of visual code, suggesting that what appears incomplete or transient has its own form of expression. The 'boom' isn’t just a literal depiction, but an opportunity to think about how we perceive reality through art.