Figuren en kostuums c. 1840 - 1843

Sybrand Altmann created this drawing, "Figuren en kostuums," with pencil on paper. The composition presents a series of lightly sketched figures and garments, almost as if floating in the pictorial space. Altmann uses delicate lines to outline shapes, creating a sense of lightness and transience. The focus here isn't on a complete, polished depiction, but rather on capturing the essential forms. The strategic placement of these elements allows for an exploration of shape and form, and it invites us to consider how an artist translates the three-dimensional world onto a two-dimensional surface. This approach aligns with the formalist idea that the intrinsic elements of art are self-sufficient in creating meaning. The sketch acts as a semiotic system where each line serves as a signifier. Rather than representing concrete realities, they suggest potential realities, and the incompleteness challenges viewers to participate in the construction of meaning. These sketches remind us that art is not static but a dynamic process.