Keizer-Alexander appel 1920 - 1924

This is Jac van Looij’s, Keizer-Alexander appel, a study of an apple made with graphite on paper. It’s all about the push and pull of light and dark, and the process is so clear, it feels like he’s figuring out the form right in front of us. You can almost feel the give of the graphite as it meets the paper. Look at how he’s built up the shadows with these layers of scribbled lines. There's a real tension between the solid form of the apple and the almost chaotic marks surrounding it. It’s not just about representing an apple, but about the act of seeing and rendering. That single, dark line that defines the apple’s edge, it's both precise and tentative, like he’s searching for the right way to describe what he sees. It reminds me of Cezanne’s apples, but looser, more immediate. Both artists are using this humble fruit to explore something deeper about perception and representation, to embrace the messy, uncertain nature of looking and making.