Meisje in een vensterbank 1909 - 1948

Freddie Langeler made this drawing of a girl in a window sometime in the first half of the 20th century. It’s just line, really, but what lines! It feels like Langeler is sketching out not just the forms, but also maybe the mood. The texture comes entirely from the mark-making: hatch marks give weight to the coats and skirts of the figures, and more frantic lines become the wispy curls of the girl in the window. Her little wave is so sweet! I’m imagining Langeler working quickly, trying to capture a memory. It reminds me a little bit of Edward Gorey. Both artists use the starkness of black ink to create a world that's both familiar and strange. There's no attempt to hide the hand, just an embrace of the medium and the process. Art is so much about this conversation across time. A beautiful, strange drawing.