Jongens aan een waterkant c. 1915 - 1935

D. Viel made this drawing of boys by the waterside with pen and ink; a dense network of lines that create a sense of depth and texture. You can almost feel the scratch of the nib on the paper, building up layer upon layer. I bet Viel stood there drawing, thinking about how to turn the world into lines, grappling with capturing the light filtering through the trees, and the way the water reflects the sky. The cross-hatching feels almost like the artist thinking aloud, working through the shapes and forms with their pen. It must have been quiet by the water, perfect for drawing and musing over life’s small intricacies. It reminds me of other artists who dedicated their lives to landscape, like Constable or Corot, each trying to capture something elusive and fleeting. It’s like they are all in conversation, saying “Look, this is how I see it, what about you?" The more I look at this drawing, the more I feel that the piece has a sense of openness, inviting us to bring our own stories and experiences to it.