Figuurstudie voor de affiche Lucifer van Vondel 1878 - 1938

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst made this figure study for the Lucifer van Vondel poster, using pencil. What strikes me about this drawing is the incredible amount of thought and care that went into the rendering of the body. The hatching is beautiful, isn’t it? There’s something almost scientific about it, with its layering and cross-hatching following the forms of the muscles and contours of the figure. It’s like the artist is really trying to understand the human form through this process of drawing. It feels very earnest. Look at the way he's hugged himself! It's like, I'm here with you, Lucifer. Holst's linear style reminds me of Aubrey Beardsley; his drawing is confident and precise and creates such a striking image that, like Beardsley’s illustrations, is both beautiful and unsettling. This is the push and pull that makes art interesting - embrace the ambiguity.