Bandontwerp voor: N.S. Ljeskow, De onsterfelijke, 1965 before 1965

Karel Thole made this cover design for N.S. Ljeskow's 'The Immortal' in 1965. The ink has a graphic quality, and the stark contrast between the ink and the paper gives the figure a bold presence. I’m thinking about Thole making this. The marks are so economical, yet they capture a real sense of character. Look at that confident cross-hatching, building up tone and texture on the figure’s coat. The strokes vary in pressure and direction, suggesting the folds of the fabric, the weight of the figure. It is the kind of drawing which captures not just what something looks like, but what it feels like. For me, pieces like this are about the artist’s ongoing conversation with the world, each mark a response to what they see and feel. It's about how the artist can suggest, rather than define, leaving space for our imaginations to fill in the gaps.