Staande en zittende naakte vrouw aan de rand van een bos 1883 - 1922

Johanna van de Kamer made this sketch of nudes, perhaps in charcoal or pencil, without a specified date. The sketch is a flurry of marks, and the two figures are shifting. I’m thinking about van de Kamer’s process here, as I can see the artist thinking through the composition in real-time, wrestling with the figures, their placement, and their relationship to the natural world. I wonder what it was like to be in the artist’s shoes, capturing the human form. The figures aren't solid or set in stone; they're emergent. There is real sensitivity to the human body and its relationship to the natural world. I like how she suggests the human form, playing with gesture and form in the same breath. Artists like Van de Kamer work in conversation with artists across time, inspiring future creativity and innovation. Painting is an embodied expression, which embraces multiple interpretations and meanings.