Afrikaanse vrouwen die schalen op het hoofd dragen c. 1916 - 1945

Reijer Stolk made this sketch of African women carrying bowls on their heads with pencil on paper, we don't know when exactly. You know, sometimes the most unassuming sketches can reveal so much about an artist's process. The visible reworking and the transparency of the lines, it’s all there. These delicate lines suggest a process of feeling out form and movement. Look at the way Stolk captures the women's posture, the balance of weight as they carry those loads. There’s an energy in the lines. It’s as if you can feel the weight and the effort, but also the grace. This drawing reminds me a little of Matisse's line drawings. He, too, had that ability to capture form with such economy and grace. Ultimately, art is about seeing and feeling, and Stolk invites us to do both.