Vier ogen zonder pupillen 1820 - 1826

Jean Augustin Daiwaille made this drawing of four eyes without pupils, using pen and brush in gray ink. The composition, arranged in a neat two-by-two grid, invites us to compare and contrast these studies. Daiwaille meticulously renders the eyelids and surrounding skin. The absence of pupils, however, is striking. It turns these organs of sight into mere shapes, and voids where we might expect depth and focus. This begs the question, what exactly is Daiwaille inviting us to see? The anatomical precision suggests a scientific or academic purpose, yet the lack of pupils renders the eyes blank, devoid of expression or the ability to engage. Daiwaille destabilizes the established meaning of the eye as a window to the soul, reducing it to a formal element, a study in light and shadow. Notice how the formal quality functions within a larger cultural and philosophical discourse that challenges fixed meanings. The artwork offers a site of ongoing interpretation and re-interpretation.