Figuren op het strand c. 1901 - 1927

Johan Antonie de Jonge made this sketch of figures on a beach with graphite on paper. There’s a real tentative quality to the marks, as if the artist is feeling around for the image, and that's exactly what drawing should be, a process of discovery. The texture of the paper is really important here. You can see how the graphite catches on the tooth, creating a kind of hazy atmosphere. The figures are only lightly suggested, almost dissolving into the background. Look at the cluster of marks on the left side, a jumble of lines that suggest maybe a boat or some kind of structure. There's no attempt to smooth things over or create a perfect representation, just a raw, immediate response to the scene. This reminds me of some of Philip Guston’s late drawings, where he embraced a similar kind of roughness and vulnerability. It's like de Jonge is saying, "Here's what I saw, in all its imperfect glory." And that, to me, is way more interesting than any polished masterpiece.