Twee figuren met de gezichten dicht bij elkaar 1849 - 1917

Editor: We're looking at "Two Figures with Faces Close Together" by Matthijs Maris, likely created between 1849 and 1917. It’s a drawing using pencil and maybe some pen on paper. The chaotic lines make it feel almost abstract, yet you can still make out the forms. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see an exploration of form through line. The density of marks creates a sense of depth and volume, despite the absence of traditional shading techniques. Note how the artist uses varying line weights to suggest contour and spatial relationships. The overall composition pushes the boundaries of representation. Editor: So you're focusing on how the artist used the materials themselves rather than what the image depicts? Curator: Precisely. Consider how the repeated, overlapping lines build up areas of tonal richness and visual complexity. It’s less about the identifiable figures and more about the abstract interplay of line and space. The eye struggles to find a resting point; the image’s energy comes from this inherent tension. Is it, perhaps, this tension which generates the image's content? Editor: That's an interesting point. I was initially focused on trying to decipher the figures. Curator: Maris seems to have dispensed with narrative in favour of a purely formal exercise. By doing so, it invites us to investigate the expressive possibilities inherent in the medium of drawing itself, to see the intrinsic artistic value in composition itself. Editor: I never really thought about the expressive possibilities of the drawing, I will definitely be thinking about it differently next time.