Portret van kunstenaar Willem Müller c. 1883 - 1914

Curator: Floris Arntzenius rendered this drawing, titled *Portret van kunstenaar Willem Müller,* sometime between 1883 and 1914. The piece uses graphite. Editor: Immediately, the sketch gives a fleeting sense of melancholy. The rough strokes seem to suggest a moment captured, not fully held. It almost looks like a candid shot that conveys emotion more than clarity of line. Curator: I can see that. Graphite lends itself to the capturing of the intimate nature, where symbolism works quietly. There's the glass to the left—a typical memento mori of the period and an acknowledgement of human fate. Editor: It's fascinating how much detail he achieves with what appear to be just a few swift marks, almost gestural. The shading along the jawline, the suggestion of a vest. It feels very immediate. Curator: Exactly! Arntzenius is playing with ideas about how artistic identity might be seen and shared; notice the subject of his artwork is a fellow artist. As a psychological insight, the casual appearance implies the men were peers, perhaps equals. Editor: Perhaps a touch ironic? It’s almost like a study in controlled looseness. The eye can be drawn to the overall impact, rather than individual details. It seems, formally, quite considered and controlled to look seemingly accidental. Curator: To extend the point, you are observing an artist captured in contemplation. The slightly faded drawing, its lines, create not just a visual depiction but the emotional, social state. Editor: Well, I have certainly gained an entirely different viewpoint looking through your symbolic context—which adds a significant layer of narrative to this fleeting glimpse.