Figuurstudies, onder andere een vrouw in zwemkleding c. 1928 - 1930

Otto Verhagen made this work, Figuurstudies, onder andere een vrouw in zwemkleding, using pen and ink, probably in a sketchbook. What strikes me about it, is its open, exploratory approach to artmaking. The textures here feel both delicate and immediate, the figures described with such nimble, simple lines. You can almost feel Verhagen’s hand moving across the page, capturing these fleeting moments. Look at the figure on the left. The thin washes of color give shape to the body, but the ink line is dominant. It’s a kind of transparency that speaks to the artist's willingness to expose the structure of the work. It reminds me a bit of Matisse’s line drawings, especially in its pursuit of simple expression. Ultimately, a piece like this is a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, full of sketches and experiments, and multiple ways of seeing the world.