Toren in de steigers 1906 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this drawing, Toren in de steigers, with pencil on paper. Oh, I love a sketch! This is a great example of how drawing can capture the essence of a subject with minimal means. You see the tower, the scaffolding, all rendered with such simple strokes! It's as if Stolk was thinking, "How can I convey the most with the least?" You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the page, quickly laying down lines to capture the form and structure of the tower. And those facial sketches at the bottom? They are like little footnotes, a glimpse into the artist’s mind as he explores different forms and ideas. It makes me think about other artists like Giacometti, who used drawing as a way to explore the essence of form. There is an intimacy to sketches, they bring us closer to the artist.