De bulleboer 1931

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst made this drawing of a farmer, or 'bulleboer,' at an unknown date, but it’s now here at the Rijksmuseum. Look at the curly hair and the determined set of the jaw; you can almost feel the artist capturing the essence of this figure through layers of graphite. I wonder what Holst was thinking as he sketched, maybe contemplating the dignity of labor, or the quiet strength of rural life? The textures are incredible, aren't they? Notice how the soft shading around the face contrasts with the rough, almost scribbled lines defining the hair and background. It reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz’s prints. There's a similar intensity, a focus on capturing the human condition with stark honesty. Artists are always building on each other's work, passing ideas back and forth across time. Each stroke here is not just a mark, but a feeling, an intention. It’s this ambiguity that keeps us coming back, each of us finding something new in the conversation.