Figuur met neus in de lucht before 1945

Curator: What strikes me is the sheer, unapologetic... hauteur. The way his nose points skyward as if daring the heavens themselves! Editor: This is "Figure with Nose in the Air," a pencil drawing by Henk Henriët, currently residing at the Rijksmuseum. It's difficult to precisely date this figural sketch, though we believe it was created sometime before 1945. I’m curious, what is it about this upward gaze that commands your attention? Curator: It's defiance mixed with aspiration, isn't it? Like a chubby little Icarus dreaming of soaring, or perhaps an aspiring orator declaiming to an empty hall. But there’s vulnerability in that exposed throat too, and the tentative sketchiness gives it a very particular aura, I find. Editor: There’s an inherent tension here, with this realistic style highlighting the inherent contradictions of class and representation. The figure, possibly bourgeois, wears clothing of status, but seems slightly unfinished, slightly unsure. Does this read as vulnerability, or rather a caricature of aspirational identity? Curator: Well, caricature demands an element of affection, wouldn’t you say? There’s something deeply endearing about the evident ambition... Or perhaps he just has something stuck in his eye! Maybe he sneezed and Henriët just captured him at an unfortunate angle? No, but on a more serious note: consider this piece was created pre-war; did its creation require its creator to look heavenward to better endure this tumultuous time in human history? Editor: Indeed, the historical context casts a different light, doesn’t it? Perhaps he's looking to something greater than himself in times of great social tumult. Henriët would have created this during one of the world's most pivotal eras. Can that shape the lens through which we examine "Figure with Nose in the Air," understanding his reach for optimism during wartime? Curator: Precisely! He seems almost surprised by what he sees, as though the light, which the artwork has beautifully captured with minimal color, could unveil some future previously imperceptible. Editor: Ultimately, this deceptively simple drawing is anything but. It invites a layered interpretation – one where personal longing intersects with historical unease. I find it thought-provoking how we keep shifting perspectives on this singular upward glance, like searching for something meaningful together. Curator: An invitation to meet someone caught, albeit sketched, on the precipice.