Schets voor een portret van mevrouw De Carnière-Wouters, echtgenote van de kunstenaar 1892 - 1916

Rik Wouters made this sketch of his wife, mevrouw De Carnière-Wouters, probably in the early 20th century, using watercolor. Look at how fast and loose Wouters is working here. It is all intuition, right? I bet he was painting fast to capture a fleeting moment. And he's not precious, see how the brushstrokes are so free and expressive, like he's just letting the paint do its thing. I bet he was thinking about Manet and all those other impressionist guys and gals. Notice how he suggests the figure with these splashes of pale lilac, pink and ochre, and little touches of crimson. The black ink outlines are so simple but they give so much structure and volume. It’s just a sketch, but Wouters makes it so alive and full of energy, not trying to be perfect, just capturing the essence of his wife’s presence. I love how these painters inspire one another across time, not by copying but by pushing each other to see things in new ways.