Vrouw met kruik op het hoofd bij een stadspoort 1884 - 1952

This drawing, "Vrouw met kruik op het hoofd bij een stadspoort," was made by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries. The ink is delicately applied, creating a sort of dreamlike tableau. I love the way the artist uses line to build up the image, creating an airy, almost ethereal feel. There's a magical quality to the scene. It reminds me of some kind of stage set, or the frontispiece to a fairy tale. The light in the central tower draws your eye, and the peacock in the foreground almost feels like it's strutting its stuff for our benefit! It’s like the artist is inviting us into a private, whimsical world. The drawing itself is so precise, yet it leaves so much room for the imagination. It has something of Beardsley’s illustrations, in its line and subject matter, but it isn't as decadent. I wonder what stories de Vries was dreaming of when he made this? Art, like stories, can be a kind of portal, a place where we can wander and wonder.