Zittende naakte vrouw en ornamenten 1949

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this tiny drawing, 'Zittende naakte vrouw en ornamenten', with pencil on paper sometime in the first half of the 20th century. The quick, thin lines sketch out the human form and some kind of decorative motif. I think there's a real beauty in this type of artmaking, where the artist is thinking through the pencil, working out how to see and show something. The marks are tentative but confident, as if made in one breath. I'm drawn to the way the figure curls in on itself, a simple outline really, but there's something so evocative about the way the head is bowed and hidden. The ornament next to the figure, it looks like a plant of some kind, almost echoes the curve of the body, creating a feeling of enclosure. The way that de Vries has captured a sense of intimacy, even vulnerability, reminds me of some of Matisse's drawings. It's as if we are invited to witness a private moment of reflection. There are some lovely accidents in the piece, tiny marks on the paper, maybe debris from the studio, that add to its beauty as an object. Ultimately, this drawing feels complete despite its fragmentary and delicate nature.