Meisje probeert een kat te vangen 1892 - 1947

This drawing of a girl trying to catch a cat was made by Gijsbertus Johannes van Overbeek, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. The cross-hatched marks are just gorgeous! I can almost feel Overbeek's hand moving across the page, hatching and re-hatching, building up the forms and shadows with these tiny, precise lines. I imagine him, sitting there, peering at the scene before him, trying to capture the light and movement of the girl, the cats, and the dog. And the composition! The garden wall creates this wonderfully stage-like space, with the cat perched in the tree above, like some kind of mischievous imp. You know, it reminds me a little of Daumier, but with a kind of tenderness, a sweetness that's all Overbeek's own. It's a humble drawing, but it has such a lively energy. It’s as if Overbeek wants to embrace uncertainty. What's going to happen next? Will the girl catch the cat? I'm not sure, but I can't wait to find out.