Gezicht 1906 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this drawing, Gezicht, with graphite, and the absence of colour turns our attention to the marks themselves. I think of this as a conversation between Stolk, his pencil, and the paper. Look closely, and you can see the tentative, searching quality of the lines. See how the graphite is layered to create depth and shadow, especially around the eyes and nose? Those eyes, they seem to stare right through you, don't they? There's an intimacy here, like we're glimpsing a private moment, maybe the artist capturing his own reflection. You know, this reminds me a little of some of the portraits by Giacometti, that same feeling of searching for something just beyond the surface. And that’s what art is all about, right? Not answers, but asking questions.