Portret van een man, van voren 1872 - 1931

Willem de Zwart made this portrait of a man with graphite on paper. Look at the sharp lines he used! The man’s stern gaze is made with a cluster of these marks. I love how de Zwart’s lines have an expressive quality. They give weight to the figure, but they also suggest a certain lightness. I bet de Zwart was completely absorbed in the act of drawing, trying to understand the inner life of his subject. What was it like to sit for him? Did he feel seen? Was he also trying to understand de Zwart’s own internal weather? It reminds me of other portraitists, like Van Gogh, who were deeply invested in capturing not just the likeness, but the essence of a person. This drawing feels like it captures a moment in time, but also hints at something timeless about the human condition. It's like we're all just trying to figure each other out, one line at a time.