Portret van een vrouw, driekwart naar rechts 1847

Jan Cornelis van Rossum made this drawing, titled "Portret van een vrouw, driekwart naar rechts" with graphite pencil on paper. The drawing presents us with a figure rendered in subtle gradations of grey, a symphony of delicate shading that defines the sitter's form and imbues her with a quiet presence. The artist employs hatching and stippling to model the woman's face, capturing the light as it falls across her features. Consider the semiotic elements at play. The lace bonnet and high-necked dress are signs of a particular social status and era, speaking to the conventions and expectations of 19th-century society. The woman's gaze, directed slightly off-center, perhaps invites speculation about her inner life. Ultimately, this drawing functions as more than just a likeness. It's a meditation on the power of representation, the ability of line and tone to evoke not just a physical presence, but a sense of psychological depth.