Lezende man en boekverkoper bij een boekenstal c. 1938

Henk Henriët made this drawing of a man reading and a bookseller at a bookstall with pencil on paper. I love how Henriët captures the everyday, the ordinary, like a fleeting thought. There's this casualness to the lines, almost like he's sketching directly from life, not fussing too much about details. Check out the bookseller's hand, gesturing, almost like he's in the middle of a lively conversation, trying to sell something to the men. Henriët's lines are so economical, yet they convey so much. The tent, too, is barely there, just a few lines suggesting a structure overhead. It's like he's not interested in the solid reality of things but more in capturing the energy of the moment. It reminds me a bit of Daumier, who also had a knack for capturing the energy of modern urban life. Ultimately, it’s a work that reminds us that art isn't always about grand gestures; sometimes, it's about finding beauty in the simplest of moments.