Jongens bij een wintervoorraad appels c. 1910 - 1937

Willem Wenckebach made this drawing of boys and apples, with pen and ink, and you can see it here at the Rijksmuseum. The crisp lines are full of little decisions. I wonder what he was thinking about as he drew each precise stroke. Look how the boy to the left points down at the pile of fruit, and imagine Wenckebach capturing the moment of his gesture! I love how the density of marks changes to describe the texture of the boys’ clothing, the roundness of the apples. It’s such a simple scene, but he turns it into something special. It reminds me of other artists who find poetry in everyday life, like Bonnard, or Vuillard. As an artist myself, looking at other people's work always makes me feel like I'm part of a big conversation that transcends time.