Man lezend op stoel 1779 - 1808

Jan Brandes made this drawing, ‘Man reading in a chair’, using graphite, likely during the late 18th century. The composition, defined by a collection of faint lines, captures three studies of figures against the stark emptiness of the paper. This is a study that emphasizes line and form above all else. The sketch is divided into three registers. There’s a disembodied head, a figure seen from the back, and, finally, the figure of a man seated and absorbed in a book. Each element exists independently, yet they are unified by Brandes’ economic use of line. The negative space surrounding them becomes as significant as the figures themselves. The seemingly incomplete nature of the work invites the viewer to consider the act of seeing and representing. Brandes, through his choice of subject and the open, unfinished quality of the sketch, reflects the broader Enlightenment interest in observation, knowledge, and the individual's place in the world.