Portret van een onbekende heer, staand 1653 - 1706

Editor: This is "Portrait of an Unknown Gentleman, Standing" created sometime between 1653 and 1706 by Godfried Schalcken. It's an ink drawing and, it strikes me as a bit melancholic, maybe because it's unfinished? What catches your eye about this piece? Curator: Ah, melancholy… yes, it has a certain wistful air, doesn’t it? For me, it’s the way Schalcken captures light with such minimal strokes. Notice how the luminosity seems to emanate from within the gentleman himself. Do you get the impression he's illuminated by candlelight, even though we can see what appears to be daylight out of the window? Editor: I see what you mean, the light does make him seem...almost ethereal. The detail in the face is amazing compared to the sketchy lines in his clothing and the background. It's so Baroque, isn’t it, with the emphasis on light and drama, even in an unfinished sketch. Curator: Absolutely! And it's a particularly Dutch take on the Baroque. The immediacy of the sketch emphasizes an attention to detail while letting us peer into the artistic process itself. I like to imagine Schalcken quickly capturing this gentleman in a fleeting moment of repose, as if to say, "Even unfinished, a glimpse of the soul shines through!" What story do you think he's trying to tell? Editor: It's almost voyeuristic. He definitely doesn’t know he's being watched. Perhaps the gentleman's lost in thought, completely unaware. I never thought I could get so much from an unfinished drawing! Curator: Exactly! And that, my friend, is the beauty of art. Sometimes, the unfinished tells us more than the polished final product. The imperfections let our imaginations run wild.