Anatomische studie van de been- en armspieren van een man 1906 - 1945

Curator: Let’s turn our attention to "Anatomische studie van de been- en armspieren van een man," housed here at the Rijksmuseum. The print dates sometime between 1906 and 1945 and appears to be an etching. Editor: It's incredibly visceral, isn't it? There’s a starkness, a kind of raw honesty, that just jumps out. Almost makes my skin crawl – but in a fascinating way. Curator: What you're reacting to is precisely the piece’s appeal, its engagement with the physical human form. Consider the tradition of anatomical study from which this drawing springs. It exists within the boundaries of historical painting as it shows a full body depiction of a man. Editor: Well, for me, it's like gazing into a mirror of my own messy interiority! The artist somehow turned skin and sinew into a portrait of the soul—or, at least, my slightly anxious one. The lines have a frantic energy, don’t they? Curator: The "frantic energy", as you call it, I read as indicative of the artist's careful study of musculature. What we're seeing is not just representation but meticulous cataloging. Notice the rendering. We get the sense the maker possessed intimate knowledge of not only their medium and technique, but also the precise topography of the human body. Editor: And, hey, you’ve got to appreciate anyone dedicated enough to stare at muscles for hours on end! There's a tenderness there, isn't there? It reminds me a little of a love letter made from ink and sheer persistence. Curator: Your remark makes me reconsider my earlier thought. We tend to see drawings like this within a narrow scientific and historical lens, when the labor and sheer determination that went into creating it might be even more essential for us to appreciate and interpret the artwork. Editor: Yes, exactly! Maybe art isn’t just about the finished product, but about celebrating all the guts, literally and figuratively, that went into making it. And with that I’m ready to run around and celebrate.