Ameland II 1959

Editor: Here we have Sonja Toebes’ "Ameland II," created in 1959, using pencil and ink on paper. There's a really somber, almost melancholic feel to it; the landscape is sparse. What captures your eye, and how do you interpret that mood? Curator: You know, it whispers to me of windswept isolation, like a memory half-faded. The artist's hand, so delicate with the pencil, teases out a certain quiet drama from the ordinary buildings, wouldn't you agree? There's an echo of post-war simplicity here too, stripped back, searching for beauty in the everyday, perhaps even tinged with some trauma. It makes you wonder what Sonja Toebes experienced; what personal stories might have shaped her lens. Editor: Trauma is an interesting read. I see what you mean about simplicity though; the almost raw rendering definitely avoids embellishment. Curator: Exactly, and it's this refusal to romanticize, to capture reality bare-bones that amplifies the emotional undercurrent, doesn't it? Think of the Dutch landscapes by Van Gogh, the Potato Eaters. Editor: I suppose, yes, that honesty shines through. The bare presentation creates an interesting feeling for the viewer. Thank you. Curator: Thank you, It is always fun for me to re-examine art. Every look is different.