Sleeping Boy Sitting in a Chair 1653 - 1659

Editor: So here we have "Sleeping Boy Sitting in a Chair," a pencil drawing done sometime between 1653 and 1659 by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, currently residing in the Rijksmuseum. It's… charmingly simple, I think? It really captures a mood. What strikes you about it? Curator: It’s funny, isn’t it, how a simple sketch can feel so complete? Eeckhout really captures a quiet moment, almost voyeuristic, as if we’ve just stumbled upon this scene. I wonder what he was dreaming about? Was it school? A sweet piece of cake he planned to nick from the pantry when his ma wasn’t looking? The very faint background suggests something, a room maybe; what do you suppose? Editor: A tavern perhaps? Somewhere he’d be surrounded by adults? Curator: Could be. Or just a chair against a wall – my brain, of course, goes to the possibilities. It is lovely, too, how the boy seems totally lost in sleep; that limp arm, the slouch in the chair – the hat barely holding on. You almost don’t want to wake him. There is almost an iconic shape formed by his hat brim falling over his chest. What’s particularly arresting for me is the very minimal technique… it’s suggestive, isn’t it, without being heavy handed. Editor: It is. It kind of proves you don't need much to create a feeling. Thanks! That was helpful. Curator: Absolutely. You’ve got a keen eye. Next time you want to drop me a line.