Gezicht op Traunfall 1922 - 1926

This drawing of a view of Traunfall was made by Reijer Stolk using ink. The limited palette really puts the emphasis on the line work, and you can really see how much the artist is relishing the act of picture-making. The surface is pretty smooth. The ink is applied in a thin, almost transparent layer. It's hard to tell exactly what kind of tool was used to make this, but it looks like maybe a fine brush or a pen. What I love is the way the lines are so deliberate, so carefully placed. Take a look at the bridge, and the way the lines create a sense of depth and perspective. There's a real sense of joy in the making of this image. Stolk was working at around the same time as Paul Klee, and I feel like there’s a similar sensibility going on here – this idea that art is a form of play, a way of exploring the world and our place in it. Art’s an ongoing conversation, you know? A call and response across time.