Bloem c. 1916 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this sketch of a flower, or "Bloem" as it's known in Dutch, with pencil on paper. The delicate pencil lines tracing the contours of the petals create a sense of lightness, like the flower is barely there, about to float off the page. You can almost feel Stolk's hand moving across the paper, gently coaxing the form into being, a little bit here, a little bit there. I wonder if he was thinking about other botanical artists, maybe even picking up on some art historical dialogue with the Dutch Masters? It's like he's whispering secrets about nature, inviting us to lean in and listen. And that stamen hanging down, with its little dangly bits? It's kind of funny, right? Like the flower's sticking its tongue out at us, reminding us not to take things too seriously. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to be so serious and can be a lighthearted investigation.