Aan zee (Katwijk) 1976

Curator: This playful drawing, titled "Aan zee (Katwijk)", was created by Rein Dool in 1976 and now resides in the Rijksmuseum collection. It's rendered in ink on paper. Editor: My first impression is that this captures a mundane moment, a kind of end-of-summer languor. The stark black ink gives it a documentary feel, like a quick sketch from a traveler’s notebook. Curator: It's interesting you say that. Dool's focus often landed on everyday scenes, and his style, particularly here, bears a deliberately unrefined, almost childlike quality. The figures and objects – a windbreak, some beachgoers in the distance, even a trash receptacle – possess a simplified, symbolic weight. Editor: I agree about the everyday, but those angular lines used to sketch out the figures and objects, even the sand, seem almost aggressive in their simplicity. Look at the trash receptacle - it's given as much, or perhaps even more, importance as the figures relaxing in the shade. Does that elevate wastefulness to the same level as leisure? Curator: That's a fascinating point, bringing attention to the throwaway culture implicit in leisure. But I wonder if we can also view it as an acceptance, a quiet acknowledgement of the elements – both pleasant and unpleasant – that make up a beach experience. There is an unpretentious nature, with almost crude strokes that invites viewers to find meaning within this mundane, almost casual scene. Editor: And look at the materials—basic pen and ink, common paper. It suggests this wasn't intended as some high art pronouncement but a functional object to try out some ideas, as the tags suggest, it seems likely to have emerged from a sketchbook. This speaks to the democratic nature of art making, anyone can capture their observations this way, not just formally trained painters. Curator: Yes, and those observations carry meaning. In this composition, that refuse bin has weight in representing a shared collective human experience and presence on the beach. The symbolic charge may shift, influenced by evolving ecological awareness. Editor: Ultimately, the charm is that these materials let Dool explore his artistic voice quickly and freely. This piece is successful, it’s nice. Curator: Indeed, seeing "Aan zee (Katwijk)" nudges us to find poetry in the commonplace. It’s about finding artistry where we might overlook it.