Bij de hoefsmid in Tanger 1902

Jac van Looij’s pencil drawing captures a scene at a blacksmith's in Tangier, using a flurry of lines to describe figures and forms. The composition, dominated by the contrast between the dark, enclosed space of the smithy and the open, sunlit area in front, evokes a sense of depth and activity. Van Looij employs hatching and cross-hatching to build up tone and texture, particularly noticeable in the depiction of the donkey and the rough structure of the building. This technique not only defines the shapes, but also lends a certain dynamism to the scene, as if capturing a fleeting moment. The artist engages with the orientalist tradition by depicting an everyday scene of labor in a North African setting. Ultimately, the sketch, with its emphasis on line and form, acts as a cultural document, reflecting the artist’s engagement with the materiality and social context of Tangier. It invites us to consider how the formal qualities of a work can speak to broader cultural and historical narratives.