Kwabornament c. 1890 - 1922

This pencil drawing, Kwabornament, by Johanna van de Kamer, feels like the beginning of something. You can almost see the artist's hand moving across the page, trying to find the form, repeating and refining. I'm thinking about Van de Kamer sketching away, maybe working out an idea for a larger, more elaborate piece. The softness of the pencil allows for so much fluidity. It's not about perfection; it's about exploration. Those repeated shapes, kind of floral, kind of abstract, feel like they're emerging from the paper itself. There's a real sense of movement here. The light and shadow created by the pencil marks give the drawing depth and volume. I wonder if Van de Kamer was influenced by the Art Nouveau movement, which was big at the time. Or maybe she was just doodling, letting her imagination run wild. Either way, it's a beautiful and intriguing piece. It reminds me that every great work of art starts with a single, simple gesture.