Dansende jongen en meisje c. 1900 - 1930

Elly Verstijnen made this drawing of a dancing boy and girl with pen and ink on paper. The simple hatching lines describing the shadows on the boy’s suit and the girl’s dress suggest a dynamic movement, capturing a fleeting moment of youthful exuberance. I love the way the texture of the paper is left visible. It's not just a backdrop; it almost feels like a participant in the dance, adding its own subtle rhythm to the composition. The economy of line is beautiful, especially in the rendering of the faces where so much is suggested with so little. Notice how the girl’s dress billows, the skirt alive with dots, each one carefully placed, creating a pattern that is both whimsical and structured. This piece reminds me a little of the work of Edward Gorey, with its slightly off-kilter perspective and gothic undertones, even though the subject is seemingly more innocent. Like Gorey, Verstijnen embraces ambiguity, inviting us to bring our own experiences and interpretations to the work, proving that art is never truly finished until someone else sees it.