Abklatsch van de krijttekening op blad 25 recto 1906 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this chalk drawing at an unknown date. This work, whose title translates as 'imprint of chalk drawing', can be viewed as an exploration of representation, a theme that came to dominate twentieth-century art. This ghostly chalk image appears to depict an archway or a bridge. The work might be seen as a product of the interwar period in the Netherlands, which saw great debates around the role of art in society. Artists and theorists questioned what art should represent, who it should serve, and how institutions like museums should support them. Stolk lived through two world wars and the Great Depression and it would be interesting to uncover more about what informed his artistic and political views. Examining exhibition records and the artist’s personal papers, if they exist, might shed light on his intentions and this work’s place in the broader art historical context.