Figuren, mogelijk in zee 1881 - 1927

Johan Antonie de Jonge made this drawing, Figuren, mogelijk in zee, with what looks like graphite on paper. I love the rawness of a drawing, the immediacy of the mark. You can really feel the artist working through an idea here. De Jonge lays down these tentative, searching lines, almost scribbling. The figures, maybe they are at sea, they barely emerge from the ground. It feels like they are still in the process of becoming. The repeated strokes in the sky or sea create a vibrating texture, a kind of hazy atmosphere. There's a simplicity, an honesty to the materials here. You can see the tooth of the paper, the smudges from the artist's hand. It's like you are right there, looking over his shoulder. It makes me think of Cy Twombly and his free-wheeling approach to drawing. For both artists, it's not about perfection, it's about capturing a feeling, a fleeting moment. The lack of finish opens up the piece to multiple readings. It embraces the unresolved.