Geesje Kwak – 08-10-21

Initial Boredom

After my last graphite pencil drawing of Geesje Kwak -04-09-21 I felt one was missing in the series. It was alright but the style resembled that of Geesje Kwak – 25-08-21 (sold) quite a bit. Out of sheer boredom I started a search for forms in my roundism style. Not a tall order I can say because the kimono folds are perfect to depict roundistically. Nevertheless, I was bored after a while again because forms deviated too much from the initial kimono. I was left to a massive quantity of plains to fill in though. So many patterns in the reference picture I already captured in previous drawings led me straight into limbo. To do them once again would be too much of one good thing. On the other hand, that is what the staged scene by Breitner was all about in the first place.

Shine Like a Star

And then that stupid little vase she is holding in her hands! It even looks like an old porcelain jenever bottle, like she’s loose of the goose. Thoughts came and went to replace it with a smart phone but I found that too corny. I saw a tv series ‘secrets of the old masters’ in which they staged a kimono girl doing exactly that. In the meantime I kept drawing without a goal, perfecting the styled kimono. All of a sudden the idea grew in me to have her shine like a star. She is long gone now and her star shone only briefly or did it? Although she left this earth shortly after her departure for South Africa, she still shines like a star in Breitner’s paintings. Her existence is soundly vested and is a constant factor like all stars in the sky at night.

Considerable Darkness

This artistic decision led to the final appearance I sought for so badly. I knew what to do. All embroidered details I put back once again but this time were hatched to a considerable darkness. The daft screen with unclear details I replaced with a sky full of stars and even an interpretation of the Milky way. Totally unexpected in the beginning but it all made sense to me. I put a star in her hands that shines brightly on her. It’s completely chiaroscuro all over the place. Evidentially I found a perfect mix of roundism and classic 17th lighting in the best Caravaggio and Rembrandt tradition.

Graphite pencil drawing (Sakura 0.5 mm, 4B) on Talens Bristol paper (21 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm) - A4 format)

Artist: Corné Akkers