Zeilboten aan een kade 1906 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this drawing of sailboats at a quay with pencil, at an unknown date. What's interesting about a drawing like this is how it shows the artist thinking through the image. It isn't just about the final result, it's about the process. Look at the top half, the boats are represented by these simple, almost architectural lines, like seeing the structure. Then your eye is drawn to the bottom half and you can see the vague face appear, this gives a sense of depth and volume. This piece reminds me of drawings by Guston. They share a kind of hesitant, searching quality. It is art as an ongoing conversation, full of possibilities rather than fixed ideas.