Figuurstudies en een man en vrouw achter tekentafels 1890 - 1922

Here's a glimpse into Johanna van de Kamer's sketchbook, where she’s used pencil to capture figures and artists at their easels. The paper breathes with graphite, each line a little thought, a little probe into form and shadow. I can imagine Johanna in her studio, maybe late in the afternoon when the light is just so, lost in concentration. These sketches, they're like little whispers of observation. Look at the angle of that head, the way the lines suggest the curve of a cheek, the fall of the hair – it’s not just seeing, it’s feeling the weight and presence of the person. The varying pressure of the pencil seems to dance across the page, at once tentative and sure. I love how these studies offer a window into van de Kamer's thinking, her playful experimentation, echoing the kind of curiosity you see in Degas' drawings. Each mark is an imprint of her looking, her thinking, her making.