Kroon c. 1910

Bernard Willem Wierink made this diminutive crown using pen and ink on paper. The dimensions are so small, it’s like a postage stamp. You know, I can imagine Wierink at his desk, pen in hand, carefully sketching out the details of the crown. What’s interesting is how he has captured not just the shape, but also the essence of what a crown symbolizes. The lines of the crown are deliberately rough, almost shaky. It's like he's trying to capture a feeling, more than a perfect image. The imperfections are what make it so interesting. It reminds me a bit of some of the drawings of Cy Twombly, but with more of a sense of humor. I'd love to see what else Wierink was making. For me, a work like this speaks to the idea that art is a conversation across time, artists responding to each other, picking up on ideas, and pushing them in new directions.