Man met arm in zijn jas gestoken 1910

This is Nicolaas Gerhard van Huffel’s drawing of a man, made sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. It's rendered in a red chalk or sanguine crayon, which gives it a warm, immediate feel, like a fleeting impression quickly captured. The marks are minimal, almost hesitant, but confident in their simplicity. Look at how van Huffel suggests the bulk of the figure with just a few strokes, particularly the way the lines describe the folds of the coat and the slouch of the hat. It’s less about perfect representation and more about getting the essence of the figure down. The roughness of the paper and the somewhat uneven application of the chalk adds to the sense of immediacy. I’m reminded of Daumier and his interest in the everyday. Like Daumier, van Huffel seems less concerned with the polished surface and more with the raw, expressive potential of the medium. It's a humble image, but it speaks volumes about seeing and feeling.