Pepita wordt gestoord bij een massage before 1948

Hans Borrebach made this small ink drawing, Pepita wordt gestoord bij een massage, using ink to build up tone and a strong sense of narrative. Look at the way Borrebach contrasts areas of bold black ink with fine pen lines. It gives the whole thing a slightly anxious energy. For me, the beauty of this drawing lies in the contrast between the thick, confident lines that define the figures, and the sketchier, more tentative marks that suggest form and shadow. The way the figures are frozen mid-motion makes the composition feel strangely theatrical, like a film still. I am particularly drawn to the woman on the left: the way her dress is rendered with flat planes of ink creates a sense of depth and volume that belies the thinness of the support. It’s a really playful use of the medium. Borrebach has a lot in common with George Grosz who worked in a similar way. This piece speaks to the continuous exchange of ideas across generations, underscoring the beautiful ambiguity that makes art so compelling.