Naaiende vrouw 1892 - 1916

Rik Wouters created this drawing, Naaiende vrouw, using pencil. Imagine Wouters with his pencil, trying to catch the essence of this woman sewing; she’s really there, and then also kind of not there, as a very lightly drawn figure standing to the left. He’s feeling around for something in the scene with those scribbly, searching lines. I sympathize with the artist, trying to capture something so fleeting. He’s not going for perfection but more for the feeling of light, shadow, and form. I can relate to that—it's like the way I approach my own paintings. It's about finding a balance between what you see and what you feel. In this drawing, the contrast between the solidity of the sewing figure and the faint one gives the drawing its tension. You can tell that the artist really liked this particular scene. It’s tender, intimate, and full of life. Artists are always in conversation, borrowing and remixing ideas across time, inspiring creativity.