Anton Caspar Rudolph Dreesmann 1912

Thérèse Schwartze painted this portrait of Anton Caspar Rudolph Dreesmann in 1912 with what looks like confident brushstrokes and a palette of deep browns and reds. I can imagine Schwartze standing before her canvas, studying Dreesmann’s face, trying to capture not just his likeness but also his essence. The paint is applied in layers, building up the form, the light catching the surface in subtle ways. Look at the way she’s handled the details of his suit – the glint of the watch chain, the texture of the fabric. But it’s the face that really grabs you, isn’t it? The way the light falls across his forehead, the slight furrow of his brow. Painters are always talking to each other, across time, riffing on ideas, pushing boundaries. Schwartze had to be aware of what other portraitists were doing. And now, we’re looking at her painting, adding our own voices to the conversation. It's about embracing the messiness, the ambiguity, and the endless possibilities of paint.