Gehurkte naakte vrouw 1892 - 1916

Rik Wouters made this drawing of a crouching nude woman with ink on paper. The marks feel fast and fluid, capturing the essence of the figure in a few strokes, and that blob of dark ink at the base really anchors the figure. The texture of the paper peeks through the ink, adding a subtle graininess to the image. It feels immediate and present. I’m interested in that balance between the abstract and the figurative, and how the material qualities of ink on paper can create such a dynamic sense of form. Look at the way Wouters uses varying pressure to create both delicate lines and bold swathes of tone. Wouters was inspired by artists like Cézanne. You see that interest in form in the way he simplifies the figure to its essential shapes. But there’s also something about the immediacy of the gesture that feels like a conversation with someone like Matisse. Art is an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, and it's always exciting to see how artists draw inspiration from one another while developing their unique voices.