Tekenende man, voeten in schoenen en een man met een Chinese strohoed 1890 - 1922

Johanna van de Kamer made this drawing with graphite, probably in a sketchbook, at some point between the late 19th and early 20th century. Look at the pressure of the lines, light and quick, like she was trying to capture something fleeting. It’s all about process here, isn't it? A kind of visual thinking. See the way she’s built up the forms with these scribbly marks? It reminds me of the way I work sometimes, just letting the hand lead the way. The texture of the paper showing through the drawing gives it a rawness, an immediacy. The composition has this casual intimacy. Like she’s sketching from life, capturing everyday moments. The feet, the man with the hat, they feel so present. Van de Kamer reminds me a bit of Käthe Kollwitz, that same focus on everyday life and the working classes, although Kollwitz is more heavy, more dramatic. Van de Kamer has a lightness, a touch of humor, even. It's about embracing the messy, the unresolved. Because sometimes, the real juice is in the process, not the finished product.