◇ The Spirit Of The Wind

The drawing by Verhagen explores the boundary between the human form and the elemental world. A nude female figure stands atop a celestial arc, her body elongated and her arms raised in a gesture of primal exultation. Behind her, a torrent of rhythmic, swirling lines creates a dense atmospheric backdrop that suggests wind, smoke, or a spiritual aura, effectively merging the figure into the motion of the universe.

Why We Picked It
This piece is a masterclass in the use of line as energy. While the artist's other works use pattern to define static interiors, here the pattern is the movement. The contrast between the smooth, pale silhouette of the dancer and the heavy, charcoal-like undulations of the background creates a powerful visual tension. It reflects the Dutch Decadent interest in the "femme libérée" (the free woman), symbolized here as a force of nature rather than a domestic subject.

Notable Context
The work demonstrates Otto Verhagen's versatility. It aligns with the Theosophical and Expressionist currents running through Dutch art at the time, where artists sought to depict "the invisible" through abstraction and flow. The composition echoes the work of Jan Toorop and Karel de Nerée tot Babberich, but with a more organic, pulsing quality that is unique to Verhagen’s "swarming" technique.