Studieblad met schelpen en een zeepaardje 1887 - 1924

Julie de Graag made this study sheet with shells and a seahorse in pencil, and it's all about the rhythm of mark-making. You can see how the lines dance around each form, almost like the shells are breathing on the page. The paper itself has a warmth to it, a kind of off-white, like old parchment. Look at the shell on the bottom left – notice the way she repeats the curved lines to build up its shape. It’s not just about depicting a shell, it’s about the feel of its form, the way it spirals. It’s like she’s trying to capture the echo of the sea in each stroke. The lines are clean and precise, but there's still a sense of touch, a human quality that keeps it from feeling too clinical. De Graag’s work has echoes of artists like Hilma af Klint, who were also exploring the hidden orders of nature. It’s this sense of searching, of using art to try and understand the world, that really speaks to me.