Jongen zwaait naar een bestuurder c. 1925 - 1935

A. Tinbergen created "Boy Waving to a Driver" in pen and ink and watercolour. Look at the scratching and cross-hatching across the boy's jumper – it is a great example of mark making as a process. The pen moves intuitively, as if trying to work out the form as it goes along, like it is feeling its way through the image. The work is all about texture. See how the horizontal lines of the road contrast with the vertical lines of the tram lines. There's a limited palette here – greys, blacks and beiges. The artist leaves areas of the work untouched, so the paper shines through. It's this contrast between the heavy ink and the lightness of touch that makes the piece so interesting. Notice the dog – a few simple marks are enough to bring it to life, its tail wagging with excitement. Looking at this, I am reminded of Philip Guston, but with a lighter touch. It makes you consider how every artist is in conversation with those that have come before.