David Wijnkoop en de Russische beer 1916 - 1925

Patricq Kroon made this drawing of David Wijnkoop and a Russian bear with ink on paper. Look at the bold lines and hatching. Kroon is really working the ink to get those contrasts, not just describing the scene, but performing it. The texture of the ink on paper gives a sense of urgency, almost like it was scratched out in one go. Zoom in on the bear’s fur, you can see how Kroon builds form with layer upon layer of quick strokes. It's not about blending; it's about the energy of each mark adding up to a whole. Those marks are all pointing in different directions, but somehow they describe the fur, like a visual argument. This kind of expressive mark-making always makes me think of Käthe Kollwitz. Both artists knew how to turn a simple line into a powerful statement. And like Kollwitz, Kroon isn't afraid to leave things open, inviting us to complete the picture with our own ideas.