Portret van Sorella 1906 - 1918

Curator: Immediately striking. I notice a certain melancholy in her gaze and posture. Editor: Today, we’re observing “Portret van Sorella,” rendered sometime between 1906 and 1918 by Thérèse Schwartze. The piece resides here at the Rijksmuseum and is done with charcoal. Curator: The choice of charcoal really influences the entire affect. It gives a certain softness to the rendering, and look at the application –almost impressionistic. I’m also drawn to the material status it seems to suggest about the sitter. Editor: Agreed, there's a clear emphasis on texture throughout. From the feathers adorning the hat to the folds of the robe, each seems meticulously rendered to express light, class, and labor. We're not simply seeing fabric; we are also invited to think about the economic systems that both enable its materiality and the skilled hands of dressmakers who fashioned it. Curator: Definitely. Schwartze pays close attention to the structure of the portrait, especially with the sharp geometry in the chair’s design versus the rounded shapes repeated in her face and hat. It really is more than just a surface-level likeness, wouldn't you say? Editor: Precisely. And if we observe the distribution of light and shadow, you’ll find Schwartze isn't just recording light but actively using it. The somberness seems related to what feels like a turning away from an outside life; her gaze drifts left as though it has someplace else to be. Curator: Absolutely, all those decisions guide how we view her; those creative choices invite interpretation about what this portrait really signifies and it's amazing she managed to make all of these choices with something like charcoal. Editor: A telling consideration of both medium and class during its time of creation, wouldn't you agree?