Eens zag ik twee gelukkige menschen

Erich Wichmann made this drawing titled 'Once I Saw Two Happy People', likely in 1928, using graphite on paper. At first glance, two elongated, ambiguous forms dominate the composition, rendered in soft, smudged graphite. The stark contrast against the pale paper evokes a sense of ghostly presence. Wichmann's approach here seems to destabilize conventional representation. The forms, while suggestive of figures, dissolve into abstraction, challenging fixed notions of identity and happiness. The use of graphite, a medium known for its malleability, reinforces this fluidity. The smudging technique further obscures the forms, questioning the stability of meaning itself. Notice how the artist has deliberately avoided clear lines, emphasizing instead the ephemeral nature of the graphite marks. This functions not only aesthetically but also invites reflection on the transient and subjective nature of happiness, and of seeing itself.