Hoofden van Afrikaanse vrouwen c. 1916 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this study of ‘Heads of African Women’ in the early 20th century with a pencil, probably in a sketchbook. I like how he’s working things out, almost like a stream of consciousness where one thought leads to another. Look at the cluster of faces in profile, one layered over the other. There’s a real sense of immediacy in the work, a desire to capture something quickly before it disappears, like a fleeting thought. The lines are tentative, searching. I’m drawn to the little sketch of a baby, which seems almost incidental, but adds to the sense of the artist observing and recording the world around them in all its messy complexity. It reminds me of Picasso's studies, where he was always trying out different ways of seeing and representing the human form. Ultimately, this study feels like a reminder that art is a process of exploration, a conversation between the artist and the world, full of starts, stops, and unexpected discoveries.