Ober met een dienblad in de hand c. 1917 - 1919

Otto Verhagen made this drawing of a waiter holding a tray, probably with graphite on paper. I love how the energy of the marks animates the figure. It’s like a dance of lines, some dark and assertive, others light and tentative, that together give a real sense of movement. The process feels immediate, like the artist was capturing a fleeting moment, an impression. I’m drawn to the way Verhagen uses the graphite to build up areas of tone and texture. See how the dark, smudgy strokes define the waiter’s jacket, contrasting with the more thinly rendered lines of his trousers? It’s as if the artist is sculpting the figure with light and shadow, giving it a real sense of presence. I think of other artists like Daumier, who also found poetry in everyday scenes. Ultimately, art isn't about answers, it's about sparking new ways of seeing.