Woonerf 1883 - 1922

Johanna van de Kamer made "Woonerf" as an impressionistic sketch, it's like she caught the place in a hurry, with just a pencil and a few lines. The beauty of this sketch lies in its simplicity. The pencil lines are so raw and immediate, you can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the paper, making real the space. It's not about perfection, but the quality of experience being caught in those lines. Notice how the buildings tilt, a little off balance, and the tree in the middle looks spindly and awkward. The whole scene has a kind of fragile vulnerability, as if it could disappear at any moment. I see echoes of artists like Paula Modersohn-Becker in her work. They both looked at the ordinary in a similar way. Like them, Van de Kamer shows us how beauty can be found in the everyday, if you just take the time to look. It’s a reminder that art isn't about answers, but about seeing the world in new and interesting ways.