Fantasiefiguur 1906 - 1945

This drawing of a ‘Fantasiefiguur’ was made by Reijer Stolk, we don't know exactly when. Look at those spiraling horns and masklike faces floating on the page. I wonder what Stolk was thinking when he made it. He probably didn't know either. It's more like feeling his way around the page, trying out a bunch of different versions of a ram-like face and building a whole composition on top of it. It’s as though his hand is following some kind of primal memory or archetype. The marks are tentative but confident, like he is having a conversation with himself. There's no need to make a perfect image; it's the process that matters. Stolk, like so many other artists, opens a space of inquiry, inviting us to bring our own interpretations and connect with the work on a personal level. Artists are always exchanging ideas, building on each other's work across time. This piece embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple readings rather than one fixed meaning.