Ruijs de Beerenbrouck als Charlie Chaplin, 1923 1923

This work by Patricq Kroon made in 1923, depicts Ruijs de Beerenbrouck as Charlie Chaplin using ink on paper. Imagine Kroon hunched over this piece, the scratch of the pen on paper, each line carving out a caricature, a commentary. The artist's hand is so present. I see this Chaplin figure, perched precariously, a puppet in a political theater, while the suits behind him gesture wildly. Is Kroon sympathizing, laughing, or maybe just like, totally exasperated? You can feel the weight of the satire, and the sharpness of his line. Artists are always riffing off each other, you know? Kroon looks to Chaplin, and I bet there were cartoonists checking out Kroon. It's this crazy conversation that just keeps going, each artist tossing in their two cents, trying to figure out what it all means. You can feel Kroon's work has a life to it, it is still provoking and making us think today.