Meisje en fluitspeler in bos 1901

Simon Moulijn made this graphite drawing of a girl and flute player in a forest. The grey tones are luminous, and the marks are soft, made of gentle strokes and patient blending. I can imagine Moulijn in his studio, listening to music, maybe, and remembering a walk in the woods when he was a boy, trying to get the balance right between reality and memory. Did he labour over those trees? Did he squint to make sure the light was just so? I like how the bare-foot boy looks confident up there in the tree, while the girl appears lost in thought. The whole thing shimmers with a quiet, tender light. It reminds me of other artists who work with graphite, like Vija Celmins, who uses a similar range of greys to create a sense of depth and atmosphere. The simplicity, the way it captures a feeling or a memory, that's what makes a drawing like this so special. Artists are always talking to each other across time and space, inspiring each other to see the world in new ways, and this drawing is a perfect example of that conversation.