Doorsneden van een schilderijlijst 1876 - 1924

Editor: So, this is *Doorsneden van een schilderijlijst*, or "Sections of a Picture Frame," by Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof, created sometime between 1876 and 1924. It's a drawing using graphite, pencil, and pen. I’m really struck by its unfinished quality. It feels like a glimpse into the artist's process. What catches your eye about it? Curator: Well, I'm drawn to that "unfinished quality" you mention, as it’s an open invitation. Think of it not just as a picture frame, but a portal. Dijsselhof gives us fragmented glimpses— almost architectural DNA – letting our imaginations fill in the blanks, constructing the complete frame ourselves. It’s like a collaborative sculpture, inviting our own perspectives to participate in its creation. Do you sense that, too? Editor: I do see that now. At first, the geometric shapes felt very static and rigid, but the open space definitely activates the sketch. The various frame segments remind me of different fonts—different visual personalities. Curator: Exactly! Dijsselhof’s giving us a design language here, and in this sense, it’s so much more than a sketchbook scribble. The empty spaces and the overlaps breathe an enigmatic life into something often perceived as rigid. What kind of pictures would these frames want to hold? Do the sketches suggest potential contents for you? Editor: That’s a great question, because, honestly, I was so focused on the sketch itself that I hadn’t even considered that. Now I’m thinking that the most ornate frame almost *demands* a somber portrait… or would it be funnier if it contained a cartoon? Curator: Oh, I love the way you’re playing with this now! See, the magic’s started. We went beyond lines on paper to possibility. I might venture to suggest a mirror – offering a different view with every moment of light and shade! Editor: A mirror, I love that. Thanks, I feel like I am looking at the artwork with new eyes now! Curator: It’s been my pleasure. It just goes to show, even a "fragment" can contain an entire world if you look closely enough.