Eenden in het water 1887 - 1924

Julie de Graag made this tiny drawing of ducks in the water with what looks like pencil on paper. The marks are fluid, almost playful, and it really speaks to the simple act of looking and then quickly capturing something you see. There's such an openness to the way the image is constructed, with these confident dark lines outlining the ducks and the water, but also a kind of hesitancy in the shading – see the soft grey on the duck closest to us. I love how the drawing is framed by this bold rectangle, almost like a window onto a small, quiet world. It makes you wonder about the relationship between the artist and the subject, as though she happened upon this scene and then felt compelled to record it. It reminds me a little of some drawings by Marsden Hartley, but there's an intimacy here that feels very personal. It’s like a visual diary entry.