Schets van staande jonge vrouw, en profil naar rechts 1848 - 1888

This is Anton Mauve's pencil sketch of a standing young woman, seen in profile, made at an unknown date. The sketch captures the figure with a delicate, almost ethereal quality. The composition focuses primarily on the form of the young woman, her figure rendered with sparse and tentative lines. The lightness of touch, combined with the use of soft shading, creates a sense of movement, as if the woman were captured in a fleeting moment. Mauve's approach here aligns with the broader artistic concerns of his time, particularly the interest in capturing transient effects and the subjective experience of the visual world. He uses a semiotic system where the pencil lines function as signs, not just depicting the woman, but also conveying a feeling of impermanence. The sketch destabilizes any fixed meaning. The form invites ongoing interpretation, reflecting the belief that art exists within a continual cultural and philosophical dialogue.