A very early pencil drawing by Beekman, depicting the surroundings of The Hague, from a time when he still worked in a realistic style. Signed and dated 1903 in the lower right corner. Beekman was 16 years old at that time! Chris Beekman joined the Haagsche Plateelbakkerij Rozenburg in 1900. There, he met Louis Soonius, with whom he formed a close, albeit brief, friendship. They worked closely together, even outside of Rozenburg. This is evidenced by the fact that Beekman, along with Aris Knikker and Louis Soonius, rented a studio on Noorderbeekdwarsstraat in The Hague. Together with other students, they would go out on weekends to sketch. An example of such a drawing is the artwork mentioned above. In 1909, Beekman resigned from Rozenburg and turned his back on his somewhat traditional friends to explore the path of abstraction. Influenced by socialism and De Stijl, he ventured into the realm of modern art, experimenting with the various -isms of his time. Similar drawings are included in the collection of the Kunstmuseum Den Haag (former Gemeentemuseum) In good condition, with traces of foxing. The photographs form an integral part of the description. Kindly refer to them to make your own assessment. Frame: 36 x 46 cm Provenance: from a private collection in Den Haag, The Netherlands