Detailstudie, mogelijk van een landschap 1881 - 1927

This work by Johan Antonie de Jonge consists of delicate marks which trace a possible landscape, maybe made with charcoal or graphite on paper. I imagine De Jonge in front of his subject, squinting a little, trying to capture the essence of a place in just a few lines. You know, that feeling when you're trying to catch something fleeting, like a memory. The marks are so light, so tentative, it’s like he’s whispering to the paper. See how he builds up the tone with these tiny strokes? It’s almost pointillist, but looser, more intuitive. I like to imagine the artist's hand moving quickly, trying to keep up with the changing light, with the wind, with the sheer vibrancy of being alive. It reminds me of some of the early sketches by Constable, or even some of Cy Twombly’s more lyrical drawings. All of us artists, in our own ways, we’re just trying to figure out how to make sense of this world, one mark at a time.