Studies van koppen en figuren before 1917

Matthijs Maris made this drawing, Studies van Koppen en Figuren, with graphite on paper. It’s like a page torn from a sketchbook, full of fleeting impressions. The figures are only lightly described, thin and searching lines. I love this kind of drawing, where you can see the artist figuring things out, changing their mind, trying different angles. Take the woman’s face in the center, for example. It’s not a finished portrait, but you can sense a presence, a mood. The texture of the paper is part of the drawing, a kind of ground for these thoughts. It reminds me a little of Paula Modersohn-Becker’s drawings, a similar sensitivity to the human figure, a similar way of using line to capture a feeling. Art is like a conversation across time. It’s not about answers, but about asking questions, exploring possibilities.