Vrouw op het strand c. 1901 - 1927

This beach scene, Vrouw op het strand, was quickly captured with graphite on paper by Johan Antonie de Jonge. It’s all about mark-making here, as a process, a way of seeing. I like the feel of the graphite on paper, how the artist is thinking through the weight of the lines, like a meditation. The smudgy quality and the visible strokes, gives the drawing a sense of immediacy. Take a look at the way the artist has rendered the figure on the beach; see how the dark, concentrated marks give a sense of volume and presence to the woman, compared with the scattered lines that define the landscape. These marks are gestural, as though the image emerged in the act of drawing. For me, this work shares some of the quick, restless energy of a Cy Twombly drawing. It’s like a visual poem, all about the mood of the beach. De Jonge is unafraid to leave things unresolved, inviting us to bring our own imagination to the scene.