Dansende man in traditioneel kostuum 1906 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this sketch of a dancing man in traditional costume with graphite on paper. It looks like the kind of drawing you do to figure something out, you know? It’s about searching for the form, like feeling your way in the dark. See how the lines are tentative, almost like the dancer is a ghost? Stolk isn't trying to nail down a perfect likeness. It’s more like he’s capturing a fleeting impression of movement and maybe even a feeling. The repetition of lines around the head and torso gives a sense of volume, but also of something vibrating or shimmering. It reminds me of some of those quick sketches Degas did of dancers – not so much about the exact pose, but more about the energy of the body and the way it occupies space. Art isn’t about answers, it’s about the questions we ask and the conversations we start.