Portret van Anna Wilhelmina Hendrika van Driel-Kummer (1843-1932) 1931

This is a pencil portrait of Anna Wilhelmina Hendrika van Driel-Kummer, made in 1930 by Elsa Woutersen-van Doesburgh. Look at the softness of the graphite and the way the artist coaxes tone from the page. You can really feel the hand working here; the lines are tentative, searching. The artist’s touch is so delicate, almost like a whisper, especially around the eyes. They are pools of quiet observation. Note the way the lines thicken and darken around the collar and brooch, anchoring the composition. It's a very intimate encounter with the sitter, a real study in light and shadow. It reminds me a bit of the early portrait drawings of Lucian Freud, with that same sense of focused intensity and emotional depth rendered through simple means. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about grand gestures but about seeing and feeling with your eyes.