Op de rug gezien vrouwelijk naakt c. 1920

Editor: We're looking at Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita's "Female Nude Seen From The Back," a pencil drawing from around 1920. I'm really struck by the almost meditative quality of it; the soft lines give the figure a sense of quietude. What do you see in this piece, particularly thinking about its materiality? Curator: For me, the compelling aspect lies in the work's genesis – its very making. Mesquita’s choice of pencil, a humble material, speaks volumes. It’s not just a study of form; it's a record of repetitive, almost obsessive labor. The varying densities of pencil strokes, building up to create shadow and form, reveal the artist's hand at work. Consider how the art nouveau lines in the background contrast with the naturalism in the woman's form. Do you think that was a deliberate contrast? Editor: It certainly feels intentional, setting off the figure from its background. Is it challenging traditional notions of high art by elevating a simple medium and common subject? Curator: Precisely! Think about the social context: art nouveau rejected industrial mass production, celebrating handcraft. Mesquita, by emphasizing process through his medium, inserts his work into this broader material and cultural discourse. The intimacy achieved through the chosen material reflects, perhaps, a resistance to the slickness and alienation of modernity. It invites the viewer to engage with the art in a slower, more deliberate way. Editor: It makes you appreciate the artist’s skill in controlling such a simple material. Thanks. I'm looking at the drawing in a different way now, focusing less on the figure itself, and more on how the whole piece was put together, and what that might signify. Curator: Indeed. By considering the 'how' and 'why' of its making, we enrich our understanding. It brings us closer to not only the image, but to the art in a physical sense.