Jongen knielt bij een hond in een mand 1892 - 1947

Gijsbertus Johannes van Overbeek made this drawing of a boy kneeling by a dog in a basket, and it's all about line, line, line. The whole thing is built up with these hatched marks, like he's knitting the image together. Look at the way he uses line to create form and shadow, especially in the folds of the cloth on the table. It's so alive, not just descriptive, but really expressive. The texture is all suggested, yet you can almost feel the rough weave of that basket. Van Overbeek’s marks are so energetic. The tile-work on the floor is also a key element. It goes to the horizon line which gives the impression of space. It seems so simple, but it’s also so carefully considered. This makes me think of other illustrators, like Quentin Blake, who can convey so much with just a few strokes. To me, art like this is about the conversation, the story that unfolds with each mark. It's not about perfection; it's about feeling and connection.