Portret van de heer Eyken van de golfclub te Noordwijk c. 1928 - 1930

Otto Verhagen made this sketch, "Portret van de heer Eyken van de golfclub te Noordwijk," using graphite on paper. It's incredible how much personality Verhagen captures with just a few lines, isn't it? Looking closely, the paper has these subtle age spots, which give it a real sense of history. It's like the paper itself is part of the story. And then there's the way Verhagen uses these quick, almost scribbled lines to define Mr. Eyken’s face. He focuses on the details that pop, the glasses, the mustache, and the slight smile, and doesn’t fuss too much with the rest. The materiality of the sketch, the paper and graphite, really come together to emphasize the essence of the subject, a moment in time. This sketch makes me think of other quick studies, like those by Daumier, where the artist is really just trying to catch a feeling or an idea. I think of artmaking as a kind of conversation, and this sketch feels like a really intimate and personal contribution to that dialogue. It invites us to look closer, to see more.