Twee staande vissersvrouwen, in gesprek 1869 - 1941

Johannes Abraham Mondt made this sketch of two standing fisherwomen, in conversation, with pencil on paper. Look at the way Mondt lays down the marks; it's all about the process of building forms with simple strokes, a bit like how we construct thoughts. The texture of the paper comes through, giving the drawing a kind of raw, immediate feel, like a snapshot of a fleeting moment. The lines are tentative, searching. See how some lines are darker, more defined, while others are light and almost fade into the background? Notice the way the shading gives weight to their dresses, yet the faces are barely there. The whole drawing is rendered with a kind of soft, hazy light. It reminds me a little of Paula Modersohn-Becker’s drawings, not in style, but in its quiet intensity. Art is all about these conversations across time, and it leaves plenty of room for us to bring our own stories to the table.