Bloemen in een vaas 1916

Reijer Stolk made 'Bloemen in een vaas' with what looks like wax crayon or colored pencils, creating something that feels both immediate and dreamlike. The artist approaches mark-making as a playful, exploratory process. The texture is soft, almost like a memory fading in and out. Look at the pinks and greens. They're not quite blended, but they sit side-by-side, buzzing with energy. See how the lines that define the vase and flowers are sketchy, tentative? It's as if Stolk is feeling his way through the composition. And that blank space in the middle of the vase? It’s not an emptiness, but a charged void where our imagination can run wild. The influence of artists like Odilon Redon comes to mind, sharing that strange mix of the domestic and the otherworldly. Ultimately, this piece reminds us that art is less about perfect representation and more about capturing a feeling.