Zich kappende vrouw, op de rug gezien 1915

Rik Wouters made this drawing of a woman cutting her hair with ink on paper. There’s an urgency to it; these aren’t carefully placed lines but bold, almost violent marks. You can see Wouters figuring things out as he goes, a real sense of process. The scratchy texture of the ink creates a kind of tension, like the woman’s pulling the scissors through her hair. Look at the jagged edge of her dress. It’s not just a line, it’s a series of little jabs, full of pent-up energy. The way he’s built up the shadows with these frenetic marks gives the whole scene a palpable weight. Wouters had a short, intense career, and this drawing feels like a snapshot of that intensity. Artists like Kathe Kollwitz come to mind, especially in the way they both used line to convey emotion and the grit of everyday life. Art’s just one big conversation, isn't it?