Twee zonnebloemen in een vaas 1899 - 1920

Jan Mankes made this drawing of two sunflowers in a vase with pencil on paper. The beauty of this piece lies in its unfinished quality, a kind of vulnerability is exposed in the visible process. You can see the ghost of a vase and the delicate pencil marks defining the petals. It is interesting to consider what Mankes chose to reveal, and what to hide. The paper itself feels fragile, aged with a natural patina of splodges, like it's been lying around a studio for decades. The lines are so fine, so precise, like tiny hairs reaching out. There’s a tentativeness to the lines, especially around the flower on the right, which contrast with the solid dark mass of the seeds in the left sunflower. I am reminded of the work of Agnes Martin, in its quiet dedication to line. And I think that, like her, Mankes invites us to slow down and appreciate the beauty of imperfection.