Jongeman die met zijn elleboog op een tafel leunt c. 1904 - 1912

Ferdinand Oldewelt drew this sketch of a young man leaning on a table, in graphite, at an unknown date. I like how economical Oldewelt is with his mark-making, a real commitment to process and knowing when to stop. Look at how the lines build up to create the form. See how the hatching describes both light and shadow but also the form itself? The overlaid grid feels like a key to the artist’s thinking. It doesn't conceal the process, but instead invites us into it. The overall effect isn’t of cold calculation, but of someone figuring something out in real-time. For me, this piece has a kinship with the kind of analytical approach you find in the drawings of Cezanne, but the artist also manages to bring an individual sensibility to the work, a kind of gentle, human touch. It's a reminder that art is as much about the questions you ask as the answers you find.