Verkiezingen van 1922 1922

Patricq Kroon made this drawing, Verkiezingen van 1922, with ink and graphite on paper. It's a small-scale work with a lot of dynamism. You can see how the artist layers lines and hatches to build up tone and texture, especially around the figures lugging the overflowing “stembus”, or ballot box. I imagine Kroon must have had a lot on his mind when he made this. The way he's captured the frenetic energy of the political process reminds me of some of George Grosz’s drawings – that same sense of urgency and satire. I wonder if he was looking at Grosz? I love how Kroon uses the thick, bold lines to define the forms of the figures, while letting other areas fade into thinner strokes. Like the smoky letters DEMOCRATIE drifting above this bizarre scene. The contrast creates a kind of visual hierarchy, drawing your eye to certain focal points while leaving other areas more open to interpretation. It feels like he's inviting us to fill in the blanks, to join him in figuring out what it all means.