Afrikaanse vrouwen die schalen met kruiken op het hoofd dragen c. 1916 - 1945

Curator: This work, residing here at the Rijksmuseum, is a pencil drawing from roughly 1916 to 1945 titled "Afrikaanse vrouwen die schalen met kruiken op het hoofd dragen"—African women carrying bowls with pitchers on their heads. What strikes you first? Editor: It feels fleeting, like a whisper of movement captured in graphite. So many balanced objects, perilously so, a silent struggle enacted through simple line. Curator: Absolutely. Stolk employs pencil here, a humble yet versatile medium. Its accessibility speaks to the immediate nature of the work. It emphasizes labor too, women carrying water, probably for long distances and little compensation, and made with a similarly limited artistic toolbox. Editor: It’s a sketch, almost incomplete. Do you think this adds to that impression? The unfinished state reminds me of the continuous, often invisible, labor these women undertook. They’re forever in motion. Curator: Precisely! The lack of detail compels us to consider the broader socio-economic landscape of labor during the colonial era, and perhaps its reflection into the means for art's production. The visible pencil lines expose the construction of the image. Editor: I am mesmerized by the confidence of those lines! It isn’t tentative. This artwork really speaks to the beauty that exists, even thrives, within necessary acts of sustenance. What a gift, just this simple moment. Curator: I’m particularly fascinated by how the artistic means available impacted the ultimate shape of the artwork. We might wonder how the economics of colonial-era production and distribution affected what made its way into the studio. Editor: So many considerations spring forth from something so bare. The human condition, endurance, artistic limitations and license… A delicate balancing act indeed, visually and thematically! Curator: Yes, examining the intersection of material limitations, artistic decisions, and historical contexts yields so much when we reflect on art. Editor: I can only appreciate Stolk all the more now, knowing how much more is present. Thanks.