Dambord 1906 - 1945

This playful drawing of a checkerboard was made by Reijer Stolk sometime before 1945. It’s all done in graphite on paper, loose and free, as if trying to figure something out. I imagine Stolk sketching away, maybe puzzling over a game or just letting his mind wander across the squares. Look at how the shading varies, from light scribbles to darker, more insistent marks. What does it mean? Is he mapping out a strategy or just doodling? The diagonal lines slicing through the grid add another layer of complexity. They’re like a painterly gesture, disrupting the order and introducing a sense of movement. You know, drawing like this reminds me of Cy Twombly, but with a structured twist. Both artists use simple marks to create complex, evocative compositions. It makes you wonder about the hidden connections between artists, how they riff off each other across time. It’s like they’re all playing one big game together.