Portret van een onbekende man 1885 - 1931

This is a portrait of an unknown man, made with what looks like brown ink on paper by Frederika Henriëtte Broeksmit. What strikes me first is the density of marks, they're almost topographical, mapping out the contours of his face and the shape of his hair. You can feel the artist's hand moving across the paper, building up the image line by line. Looking closer, there’s such a wonderful tactile quality to the piece. The lines are etched into the paper, creating a subtle relief. You can almost feel the texture of his skin and the fabric of his jacket. I love how the artist used the density of the lines to create depth and shadow. Notice around the ear there's a real concentration of marks, creating a sense of volume and form. It reminds me a little of the work of Lucian Freud, in the sense of intense scrutiny and the way he uses line to map out the human form. But, of course, this is Broeksmit’s own unique vision, a kind of dance between observation and imagination, leaving us with a portrait that is both intimate and enigmatic.