Drie kinderen in een kippenhok 1916

Nelly Spoor made this image of children in a chicken coop with pen on paper. It’s all about the line, isn’t it? A loose, playful line that seems to almost dance across the surface. The magic of this piece is in the details. Look at the chicken, for example, standing guard at the door. You can almost hear its clucking. The artist uses a simple, flowing line to capture the texture of its feathers, its beady eyes, and the confident stance. And the kids! Their clothes, hats, and little shoes. They seem to be caught in a moment of pure wonder. Spoor's work reminds me a little of Beatrix Potter. There's a similar sense of whimsy and attention to detail. But where Potter's work is often more polished, Spoor's has a raw, sketch-like quality that I find really appealing. It's like we're getting a glimpse into the artist's process, a snapshot of her imagination at work. Art is always a conversation, isn't it?