Staande vrouw 1892 - 1916

Rik Wouters made this drawing, Staande vrouw, with a pencil, there's no date for it. It shows how mark-making can be like a dance. Wouters' lines are so alive! They wiggle and suggest form without being too rigid, you know? Like in the face, it’s barely there, just a hint, but it’s enough. It feels like he’s figuring out the figure as he goes, not trying to copy something exactly. Look at how the lines vary in thickness, some are bold, others are barely-there whispers. It’s like he’s feeling his way around the shape, letting the pencil lead him. It makes me think of Matisse, how he could capture so much with so little. Both of them understood that art isn't about perfection, but about the joy of seeing and making.