Treinlocomotief 1906 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this drawing of a train locomotive with pencil, at some point in his life. It looks like a quick study, a way of figuring out the subject, or maybe just a way to pass the time. The pencil lines are raw, almost like he’s feeling his way around the train. It’s not about precision; it’s about the gesture. The shading on the right-hand form, gives it a kind of weight, anchoring the sketch, as if to stop it floating away. And the lines on the left that describe the form of the locomotive are so simple, almost abstract, but somehow they still evoke the massive scale of this vehicle, with all its power and force. I think of artists like Guston, who also used simple means to convey weighty ideas. Stolk's drawing reminds us that art isn't about perfect representation, but about finding new ways to see and experience the world. The conversation between artists is ongoing, and it's in these acts of interpretation that art finds its meaning.