Mercurius 1900 - 1903

Antoon Derkinderen made this drawing, Mercurius, at an unknown date, using graphite on paper. The lines are searching and provisional, and that’s where the work happens, for me at least. You can see where the artist has gone over the same area, and the materiality of the drawing comes from the density of these marks. There’s something so pleasing about a graphite drawing, it's like a peek into the artist's mind. The drawing is so light and airy that it almost seems to float on the page, defying gravity with its delicate strokes. Look at the way the lines curve and intersect, creating a sense of movement and dynamism. The lines form a face, hair, and the symbol of Mercurius: the caduceus. It feels like Derkinderen is working out how to grasp the mercurial figure, both literally and metaphorically. The slight pressure of the pencil on the paper gives it a subtle texture. This piece makes me think of other artists who work with line and form to explore the human condition, like Giacometti. They remind us that art is not about perfection or resolution, but about the ongoing process of questioning and exploring.