Schaap en een lam c. 1904 - 1906

This undated drawing by Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof at the Rijksmuseum features a sheep and a lamb. The lines! They’re so simple, so clear! The artist’s hand confidently outlines these creatures, capturing their essence with only a few strokes. I wonder if Dijsselhof was thinking about the quiet connection between a mother and her child. See how the lamb tries to keep up with its mother? I can almost feel the smooth paper under his hand as he draws. You can sense the artist thinking of a Japanese printmaker, and a long conversation with other artists, a lineage that stretches back through time. It reminds us that every mark we make is part of a bigger story, an echo of countless artists who came before us. Painting is a beautiful language, isn't it?