China prentbriefkaart 'Meneer Droogstoppel tot de matrozen' c. 1900 - 1918

This postcard, made by Alfaro Reijding, is a playful little world in ink and a muted yellow wash. It’s like a quick sketch, or a comic strip panel, capturing a moment with simple lines. I imagine Reijding hunched over a table, maybe in a cozy studio, quickly drawing. The ink isn’t precious; it’s direct, immediate. Look at the way the figure is rendered: all caricature and exaggeration. You get the sense of a quick read, a fast jab at society, maybe. The artist is making quick marks, and deciding in real time where to lay the wash to make it pop! The whole thing feels light, ephemeral. Like a painter, Reijding is in conversation with a whole tradition of satire and social commentary. You can sense an echo of artists like Daumier, but with a quirky, personal twist. It’s like they are bouncing ideas off of each other, separated by time. Painting really is just a long conversation between friends.