Kop van een koe 1906 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this drawing, 'Kop van een koe', with a pencil on paper. Look at these marks, almost scribbles, that build up to suggest the volume of the cow's head. It reminds me that art making is a process. It's about layering, erasing, and finding the form through action. There's a real physicality to this piece. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving quickly, trying to capture the essence of the animal. The texture of the paper is left bare in places, letting the light bounce around and giving the drawing a sense of airiness. Note the zigzags above the cows head, are they an abstract form, or a sense of flies buzzing around? It's this kind of ambiguity that makes the piece so intriguing. Stolk’s drawing reminds me of Picasso's quick sketches. It’s about getting to the heart of the subject, the essential form. It’s not about perfection; it’s about expression.