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

This page of sketches by Johanna van de Kamer is rendered in pencil. Look closely at the seemingly simple marks. Imagine Van de Kamer in the act of drawing. I know, from my own practice, that a single line can be tentative, searching for form, for meaning. See how the artist has captured the shape of feet in shoes, and then the concentrated stance of a man drawing. Is he drawing the feet? There’s such an intimacy in this kind of looking. Think of all the other artists who have been inspired by what they see in front of them. Think of Degas, or Toulouse Lautrec, capturing fleeting moments. Van de Kamer’s marks aren't overworked. They remain open and receptive. There's a real sense of seeing and feeling. Each sketch captures something ephemeral and it’s still here now.