Boekhandelaar met een stapel boeken op zijn arm c. 1900 - 1925

This drawing of a bookseller with a stack of books on his arm was made by Monogrammist EK, we're not sure exactly when. Look at how the artist uses rapid, confident lines. Each stroke seems like a decision, a thought made visible. It's like the artist is thinking out loud, showing us the structure of the figure through this energetic web. The entire image exists in shades of ink, it's a world of monochrome, which speaks to the character of drawing as a medium that is very direct. It's a contrast of black ink and the white paper that suggests shadow, form, and even the texture of clothing. See how the lines vary in thickness, suggesting volume and depth. Take the cloak for example, see how the density of lines gives it weight, while the sparseness around the legs suggests a lighter fabric. It's not just about what's drawn, but how it's drawn. It makes me think of Käthe Kollwitz, especially her printmaking. Like Kollwitz, this artist uses the starkness of the medium to convey a sense of immediacy and emotion. What this drawing suggests to me is that art is not just about capturing a likeness, but about revealing the layers of seeing and feeling.