Toon bekijkt het gezicht van Piet Bing before 1954

Here, we see Hans Borrebach's ink drawing, “Toon bekijkt het gezicht van Piet Bing”. What strikes me first is the directness of the line, almost like a rapid sketch, but with a graphic clarity that really pops. Borrebach's economy with line and colour suggests a process of quick decisions and confident execution, a method of thinking through drawing. Looking closely, I notice how the blue ink is laid down in washes, loosely defining the forms. It's transparent in places, allowing the paper to breathe through, while the solid black lines carve out the figures with a crispness that is almost cinematic. I'm drawn to the face of Toon, that little smirk, rendered with just a few well-placed lines. It’s a masterclass in expression. Borrebach reminds me a little of Saul Steinberg, both masters of visual wit. But unlike Steinberg's more intricate compositions, Borrebach simplifies and distills. This piece embraces the beauty of the spontaneous, reminding us that art is as much about the doing as it is about the seeing.