Kop van een vrouw met kapje 1878 - 1938

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst made this drawing of a woman’s head with ink on paper. I imagine Roland Holst's hand moving across the page, hatching lines to build tone. See how the ink creates a kind of stippling effect, almost like a pointillist painting? The varying pressure of his hand gives shape to her face and the folds of her cap. You can see how he’s considering the way light falls on her face, giving her both weight and presence. What was Roland Holst thinking as he observed her? Was she a friend, a lover, or a hired model? I wonder if he labored over her eyes to capture her gaze. The drawing feels intimate. It's as if Roland Holst is having a conversation with her on paper. I can imagine him looking at other drawings and paintings of women, thinking about how to make her feel alive, present, and real.