Op de rug liggende muizen 1883 - 1922

Here we see Johanna van de Kamer’s study of mice, likely made with pencil on paper. It’s a sketch, really, capturing the immediacy of seeing, thinking and then doing, all at once. What strikes me is the way she renders form with simple lines and tonal variation. Look at the mouse at the top right. It is a flurry of marks which somehow create depth and volume, almost as if she’s sculpting the figure with the tip of her pencil. You can feel the push and pull of the line. It’s really something. And then there’s the mouse at the bottom, on its back. The belly is shaded with a dense network of strokes, creating a sense of roundness and vulnerability. It reminds me a little of Kathe Kollwitz, especially the way she uses line to convey the weight of things, whether physical or emotional. But while Kollwitz tends to be quite serious, there's something playful in van de Kamer’s touch, a sense of delight in the simple act of observation. Ultimately, I think art is about keeping our eyes open and seeing what happens.