Staande vrouw 1892 - 1916

Rik Wouters made this drawing, Staande Vrouw, with pen on paper. Look at that figure emerging from the page, so lightly, so tentatively. What's fascinating here is the artist's touch – a bit like watching someone think. You can almost feel Wouters circling around his subject, trying to pin down an essence, a feeling. I wonder what he was after, this fleeting impression, this sense of capturing something ephemeral. The lines are so delicate, almost hesitant, like a whisper. It reminds me of other artists, like Twombly, who use line to convey movement and emotion. It’s as if Wouters is in conversation with all of them, and with us, inviting us to contemplate the endless possibilities of a simple, yet profound gesture.