Ornament met bladmotief 1906 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this sketch of a leaf motif, in graphite pencil on paper. Look at these light, tentative lines, mapping out a natural form within a constructed grid. I wonder what Stolk was thinking as he drew, patiently observing the details of leaves, then translating them onto the page. Did he approach it as a challenge, to reconcile the organic with the geometric? You know, I’ve always been fascinated by this tension between the natural and the constructed, the spontaneous and the planned. Look at how the lines vary in pressure and direction, creating a sense of depth and movement. You can almost feel the air circulating around the leaves. It reminds me of the way Cy Twombly would channel classical forms through the filter of his own gestural mark-making. It’s all part of this ongoing conversation artists have, across time. Drawing and painting become a way to embody feeling, open to all sorts of interpretations.