Figuur met lang haar en een kroon op het hoofd in profiel naar rechts Possibly 1943

Editor: So, this is Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita's "Figuur met lang haar en een kroon op het hoofd in profiel naar rechts," probably from 1943, created using pen and ink. It has a whimsical, almost dreamlike quality, doesn’t it? A profile with elaborate details… What do you make of it? Curator: Dreamlike is perfect, isn’t it? The dream of history, maybe? Mesquita has taken a simple profile drawing and imbued it with this bizarre layering – like the crown isn't just *on* the head, but almost *of* the head. He crams all of this almost architectural, totemic weight above what seems like a languid face. Doesn't that tension interest you? Editor: Absolutely! It’s the contrast, right? A weighty crown with a relaxed expression. There's almost a claustrophobic feel, but then it still evokes serenity somehow. Curator: Serenity amid chaos. This reminds me a little bit of looking at a theatre set, the set's details belying the emotions being staged by the actors! Editor: Ah, that makes sense! So it's about performance and illusion, a sort of visual metaphor? Curator: Maybe. Or maybe it’s that crowns, kingdoms, even the weight of history are… fragile. A bit… theatrical. What if Mesquita is showing us how close the symbols of power are to simply being lines on a page? After all, everything’s just ink, right? Editor: Wow, I’d never considered that fragility before, the thin line between reality and representation! I like that a lot. It completely changes how I see the crown. Curator: Doesn't it just? Editor: Definitely a different perspective. This was so insightful.