Zittende man naast een liggende naakte vrouw op een bed c. 1916

Reijer Stolk made this drawing with colored pencil on paper in the early to mid 20th century. Stolk's materials are simple: paper, pigment, and wax. They’re readily available, affordable, and easy to use, but also limited. The strokes of color are direct and unblended, the image appearing as a simplified mosaic. Yet, these perceived limitations also become expressive strengths. The image isn't intended as a true-to-life rendering of reality, but a personal take on it. Colored pencils may not have the same prestige as oil paint or bronze, yet they allow for a uniquely intimate and immediate form of expression. The texture of the paper shows through, reminding us of the artist's hand, pressing the colored pigment into the fibers. Considering the accessible materials and direct, unpretentious technique, we can recognize the value in seeing and interpreting the world with fresh eyes, unburdened by tradition. It offers us a lens through which to appreciate the beauty of simplicity and the power of accessible materials in art.