Boekenstal 1938

Henk Henriët made this pencil drawing called 'Boekenstal', meaning book stall, at some point in his short life. Look at the hatching of the pencil marks, how he creates tone and shade. It's not about blending so much as layering. The stall itself is only loosely defined, but the two men in the foreground are rendered with a kind of intense detail. I find myself wondering about their expressions, what's going through their minds as they look at that book. And the stacks of books on the table - imagine all the stories and ideas contained within those pages. This reminds me of the drawings of George Grosz, who was also capturing the atmosphere of city life at this time, the everyday encounters and human dramas. Art is like an ongoing conversation, with each artist building on what came before.