Vrouw met een kalf 1915

Rik Wouters created this drawing, "Vrouw met een kalf," using pen and brown ink, presenting a scene dominated by stark contrasts and expressive lines. The composition divides roughly into foreground and background, with the subjects positioned on the lower half and the horizon suggested by a simple horizontal stroke. The rough, energetic lines of the pen create texture and depth, particularly in the rendering of the rocks and foliage in the foreground. The use of negative space accentuates the forms of the woman and the calf, giving them presence. Wouters’ expressive style challenges traditional representational art. His marks explore a tension between form and abstraction, inviting viewers to engage in a dynamic process of visual interpretation. The ink’s materiality and the artist’s gestural handling create not just an image but a field of aesthetic inquiry. Through this method, the drawing becomes an exploration of perception.