Japans beeldje 1943

Jan Petrus Ponstijn made this small picture of a Japanese figurine at some point during his career using pencil on paper. Look at the way the pencil lines just barely suggest the form, a kind of ghost image emerging. I bet Ponstijn was really present with the object, trying to capture it quickly, almost like catching a fleeting feeling. You know, that kind of 'less is more' thing. I imagine him squinting, then tentatively marking out the contours and volumes of the sculpture. The statue is a dark and mysterious form, but the artist has managed to communicate its essence with very simple means. I wonder what other artists he looked at? Maybe he was interested in the way Rembrandt used light and shadow to create a sense of drama. It's all part of the same conversation, isn't it?