Studieblad met honden en vleugels 1884 - 1952

Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries made this study sheet of dogs and wings with pencil on paper, but we don’t know when. The image is a flurry of graphite; a few lines confidently describing dogs, a curl, a wing. It's a glimpse into the artist's mind, their hand moving quickly to capture a thought. You can see the texture of the paper, the smudges and the varying pressure of the pencil. I love the little dog stretching, it seems to be trying to catch your eye in the crowd. These types of drawings help us understand that art isn't just about the final, polished product, but also about the messy, experimental process. It reminds me of Philip Guston's late-career drawings – a similar freedom and directness, a willingness to embrace the imperfect. Like Guston, de Vries shows us the joy of simply making marks, of letting the hand lead the way. It’s like eavesdropping on a conversation between the artist and the page. It’s an invitation to imagine, play and embrace ambiguity.