Schets van twee mannen bij een ladder 1873 - 1932

Wilhelmus Johannes Steenhoff made this drawing of two men by a ladder in pencil on paper, and it’s all about seeing the artist's thinking in action. The pencil lines are so light, almost like whispers on the page, suggesting movement and the beginning of a story. Look at the man climbing the ladder, each rung a tentative mark. There’s something so vulnerable and open about a sketch; the artist isn’t trying to hide their process. That thinness of the line makes me think of Giacometti’s drawings – that same feeling of searching for form in space. But also, it makes me think about the nature of art itself, and how we are always in conversation with each other. It’s not about answers, but about keeping the questions alive.