Viooltjes 1887 - 1924

Julie de Graag made Viooltjes using what looks like lithographic crayon on paper, and I love how her marks aren't about perfection. It's more like she's thinking through the image as she makes it. The texture here is really interesting. The surface is quite flat, but the crayon gives it a kind of velvety feel. The violets look like they’re emerging from the paper, not quite there, like a memory. Look at the top flower in the middle - it's got this dark, almost brooding center. Then, the petals fan out with these delicate lines, like each one is a whispered secret. It’s got a real sense of depth, even with such a limited palette. De Graag’s work reminds me a bit of Odilon Redon, not in terms of subject matter, but in the way she uses color to create a dreamlike space. Her work has a quiet power. It's in that space between seeing and feeling where the magic happens.