Fotoreproductie van een tekening, voorstellende een portret van Hendrik Nobbe door Johannes Cornelis Mertens c. 1887 - 1970

Here is a photo reproduction of a drawing of Hendrik Nobbe by Johannes Cornelis Mertens, copied by Camillus Franciscus van der Aa. Imagine the original artist working with graphite or charcoal, carefully building up the tones to capture Nobbe’s likeness and character. It makes me think about what it might have been like, sitting in a room with Nobbe as he posed, maybe feeling a little self-conscious. Van der Aa would have wanted to capture his essence, not just his appearance, and that takes time. You’ve got to really look. Look at the details in the face, the way the light catches the side of his nose. There is a sense of seriousness and intelligence in his eyes. I wonder, what was Nobbe thinking in that moment? Artists are always in dialogue with each other and the past, riffing off what has come before, and setting the stage for what will follow. It’s an ongoing conversation across time.