Studie c. 1888 - 1901

This is a preliminary study by Anna Catharina Maria van Eeghen, and we can see immediately the artist is experimenting with line and form. The composition is dominated by a large, empty space, offset by very minimal pencil strokes. The texture of the paper itself becomes almost as important as the marks laid upon it; one might consider how the paper's delicate cream tone provides a soft contrast against the sharper marks of the pencil. Semiotically, the emptiness could symbolize a blank canvas of possibilities, and the faint marks serve as initial ideas. It invites contemplation on the creative process itself. This study might be seen as a visual representation of early 20th century notions of space and perception. The dominance of empty space destabilizes traditional composition and the value of what is 'not there' as much as what is.