Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 74 c. 1884 - 1887

Editor: This is Willem Witsen’s “Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 74,” dating from around 1884 to 1887. It’s a coloured pencil drawing on paper currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Looking at it, I'm struck by how faint and ghostlike the image is. What do you see in this work, considering the period in which it was created? Curator: It’s a very interesting piece, particularly when viewed through the lens of its historical moment. Late 19th-century art was undergoing significant shifts, influenced by emerging social and political movements. What appears as a 'ghostly' image to you might actually represent the dissolving of traditional artistic representation amidst changing societal norms and class structures. How might the portrait, rendered in such an ephemeral style, reflect shifting ideas around identity at the time? Editor: That's fascinating. I hadn’t considered how the artistic style might reflect social changes. So, you’re suggesting the lack of sharp, defined lines could symbolize the breakdown of rigid social structures? Curator: Precisely. Consider that the impressionistic style was emerging. What power structures were being questioned and challenged at the time? For whom was identity unstable and/or questioned at the time? How might a faint image allow for the projection of identities that are usually less represented? Editor: So, by representing someone in this hazy manner, Witsen might be giving visual space to identities and realities that were suppressed or less defined in the broader social narrative? I never would have considered how deeply the medium itself is interwoven with the context of the time it was made. Curator: Exactly. The image becomes a site for examining power dynamics and the fluidity of identity. I think there is so much more to discover there, in this under-representation.