Still Life II - Charcoal Drawing by Nicolaas Maathuis

This still life drawing combines charcoal with a specially treated, scratched paper surface. A bowl of fruit and other objects are arranged across the table and viewed from above, with the forms reduced to lines, shapes and overlapping contours. Darker charcoal marks contrast with exposed areas of the paper, creating variations in texture and density across the composition. The scratched surface remains an active part of the image, adding a raw, graphic quality to the handmade character of the drawing.

Nicolaas Maathuis is a Dutch visual artist and designer. Born on June 23 in Deventer, the Netherlands, he followed a diverse educational and professional path, studying at the conservatory (ArtEZ), the Rietveld Academy, and the University of Amsterdam. His interests have ranged from music and pedagogy to visual art and law before he established himself as a visual artist and designer.

Maathuis works across painting, drawing, ceramics, furniture and applied art, often combining artistic ideas with functional objects. His work is characterised by simplified forms, a strong use of colour, and hand-drawn and handmade elements, with an interest in bringing art into everyday surroundings.

Maathuis lives and works in Buren, the Netherlands.