Twee fotoreproducties van tekeningen, voorstellende portretten van een acteur in kostuum met een monocle en een actrice in een stoel 1890

These drawings by F.A. Dahlström depict an actor in costume with a monocle and an actress seated. Notice the monocle, a symbol of distinction and detached observation. It is not merely a lens but an emblem of modernity and self-conscious performance. The monocle finds its echoes in various guises through art history. Consider the detached gaze of figures in Renaissance portraits or even the masked figures in commedia dell'arte. These are all ancestors of this actor's calculated self-presentation. The act of wearing a mask or, in this case, a monocle speaks to a deeper human impulse. It is an expression of our desire to both reveal and conceal. We see this tension played out across cultures and centuries. Whether it be in the masks of ancient rituals or the costumes of modern theater. This drawing encapsulates this eternal dance between appearance and reality, engaging the viewer in a play of perception and psychological intrigue.