Zittende man met een hoed 1834 - 1903

This sketch, “Zittende man met een hoed,” by Johan Hendrik Weissenbruch at the Rijksmuseum, is rendered simply in pencil. The composition is dominated by diagonal lines that form the man’s posture as he sits, leaning back, with a woman standing behind him. The artist’s concentration on line and form, rather than detail, creates a sense of immediacy, almost as if capturing a fleeting moment. Weissenbruch here uses the structural elements of line to imply form and space, and this directness aligns with a broader artistic interest in depicting modern life without idealization. The structuralist approach allows us to consider not just what is depicted but how the depiction itself conveys meaning. Note the sparse use of shading. It is a semiotic device, offering clues about the subject's psychological space. The sketch challenges the conventional portrait's aim for accuracy, inviting reflection on the artistic process itself and the representation of everyday experience.