Man en vrouw liggend op een strand c. 1922 - 1925

Otto Verhagen made this pencil drawing of a man and woman lying on a beach, and what strikes me is how simple, yet evocative, it is. Look at the way Verhagen uses line. It’s not about perfection, but about capturing a moment, a feeling. The lines are quick, almost scribbled, but they define the forms of the figures, their clothes, and the sand they're resting on. There’s a real sense of immediacy. I find myself focusing on the woman’s hat, it is just a few lines, but it places her at a certain time and place, and it’s kind of wonderful how much information is being conveyed with so little effort. It reminds me that art doesn’t have to be about showing off technique; it can be about honest observation and the joy of mark-making. Like a looser, Dutch version of David Hockney, Verhagen understands that less is often more. It’s a conversation, a shared glance, an invitation to see the world a little differently.