Vrouw en twee meisjes op een terras 1892 - 1947

Gijsbertus Johannes van Overbeek made this drawing of a woman and two girls on a terrace with ink on paper. I love the directness of the medium; it's immediate! Look at how he uses simple lines to create texture and depth; hatch marks build up the shadows in the trees, on the building, and on the clothes of the figures. I like how the thickness of the lines varies too. Notice how the darkest lines define the edges of the forms, while thinner lines fill in the details and create a sense of light and air. It's all about suggestion rather than definition. The looseness reminds me of a quick sketch, a fleeting moment captured on paper. Like Honoré Daumier, Overbeek uses a limited palette to create a sense of immediacy and intimacy. Both artists had an amazing ability to capture the essence of everyday life with just a few strokes of the pen or brush. Art is a conversation!