Liggende man en een lezende vrouw tegen een duin c. 1930 - 1940

Otto Verhagen created this drawing using pencil and crayon, capturing a scene of figures against a dune. The marks here are tentative, like Verhagen is feeling his way into the subject, allowing the scene to emerge from the whiteness of the page. Look at the way the crayon is applied so lightly, especially in the shadows, it feels almost like a memory, a half-remembered moment captured in a fleeting gesture. I love how Verhagen hasn't overworked the piece. The drawing has a fragile quality, like a whisper. Those faint, almost ghostly figures in the background make the scene feel so dreamlike, as if they’re fading away. You know, this reminds me a little of some of Philip Guston’s later works, where he uses simple lines and forms to convey complex emotions. It's like they're both embracing ambiguity, allowing the viewer to bring their own experiences and interpretations to the piece.