Duchesse d'Angouleme-peren 1920 - 1924

This drawing of pears was made by Jac van Looij, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century, with pencils and maybe some charcoal. Look at this scrum of clustered fruit, like a greyish still life caught in fading light. I can imagine Van Looij working on it, squinting, trying to capture the soft forms of the pears against the shadowy tangle of leaves and branches. He’s using layers of dry medium—you can see the smudged marks and hazy lines. It's almost like he's feeling his way around these pears, trying to pin down their elusive shapes. The rubbing and blending creates a gentle, hazy atmosphere; a certain moodiness that reminds me of other symbolist painters working at that time. This work invites a contemplation of impermanence, the quiet beauty of decay, and the ephemeral nature of life.