Gezin bekijkt een moestuin 1917 - 1970

Adrie Vürtheim made this drawing, called 'Family looking at a vegetable garden,' using ink on paper. The first thing that strikes me is the economy of line. Vürtheim uses hatching to create depth, but it’s all so open and breezy. I love the way the brick wall in the background is barely suggested, just enough to give you a sense of place without weighing the composition down. The figures are rendered with these delicate strokes. There’s a real sense of air and light, even though it’s just black and white. Look at how the strokes vary in thickness, creating texture and shadow. It's like Vürtheim is building up the image layer by layer. It reminds me a little of Matisse’s drawings – that same sense of capturing a moment with the fewest possible marks. It celebrates the joy of seeing. It's a wonderful example of how art can be about suggestion and evocation, leaving space for our imaginations to fill in the gaps.