Dikke raadsheerachtige 1930 - 1945

This is Henk Henriët’s ‘Dikke raadsheerachtige’, a drawing done with pencil, somewhere around the early 1940s. What I love about pencil is its directness. It’s like thinking in graphite, where the artist's first idea is immediately visible. Look closely, and you can see how Henriët builds up the form of this stout councilman. It’s all about the layering of these tiny, energetic lines. The texture feels soft, almost like fur, which is pretty perfect considering the subject’s heavy coat. There's a real sense of weight to this figure, created through those dense, scribbled marks. Henriët’s use of line reminds me a bit of Daumier, who also used drawing to capture the essence of a person, not just their appearance. Both artists embrace a kind of beautiful awkwardness, reminding us that art isn’t about perfection, but about seeing and feeling.