Figuurstudie 1919

Reijer Stolk made this sketch, Figuurstudie, with graphite on paper. Look at how he built the figure out of frantic searching lines, almost like he’s trying to trap something. It reminds me of Philip Guston’s nervous, hairy marks, or maybe Cy Twombly's scribbles. I wonder what he was thinking? Maybe the model kept moving. Or maybe Stolk was trying to capture not just what was in front of him but some inner feeling. See how the lines bunch up and then spread out, like a breath. There’s something vulnerable and kind of funny about the guy’s crossed-out head. We've all been there as artists, right? Making a mess, starting over, trusting the process even when it feels like it's going nowhere. It reminds me that art isn't about perfection; it's about the messy, beautiful struggle to see and feel and make.