Moeder met kind 1885 - 1940

Rob Graafland made this drawing, “Moeder met kind”, with sepia ink and pencil. The artist uses the medium to create a sense of warmth, to depict the gentle love and quiet intimacy of the bond between mother and child. The marks in the image are incredibly direct. See how the artist uses cross hatching in the hair to show shadows, and the soft, feathery marks that create the skin tones. The slightly awkward hand position makes this feel like a very real, human image. It feels spontaneous, more like an intimate sketch than a formal drawing. This piece makes me think of Kathe Kollwitz, especially her drawings of mothers and children. Both artists share this interest in the family, and are able to express this tenderness through a simple and sensitive approach to mark-making. Like so much art, Graafland’s drawing embraces ambiguity. It prompts us to contemplate themes of motherhood, care, and the human condition, without offering any easy answers or definitive pronouncements.