Portret van Jo Bauer-Stumpff Possibly 1937 - 1938

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst made this portrait of Jo Bauer-Stumpff with chalk on paper. The smudgy, soft application of the chalk suggests a certain approach to artmaking as a process, where the artist is searching for the form within the material. The texture of the paper shows through the drawing, and this is part of the beauty of the piece. The varying pressure of the chalk creates depth and volume. Look at the way Holst uses short, almost scribbled lines to define the contours of Jo Bauer-Stumpff’s face, especially around the eyes and mouth, and how these marks add a sense of weight and gravity to the sitter. The almost neutral palette emphasizes the subtle gradations of light and shadow. The way Holst captures a likeness with such a minimal approach reminds me a little of the drawings of Paula Modersohn-Becker, where the focus is on the essential qualities of the subject. Ultimately, art invites us to see the world in new and unexpected ways.