Karikatuur van een letterkundige 1923

Editor: This drawing by Erich Wichmann, "Caricature of a man of letters", from 1923, uses graphite to create a really striking image. It's almost ghostly in its simplicity. What jumps out at you when you see this piece? Curator: The reduction to essential lines. What survives and what is emphasized reveals much about how Wichmann perceived the subject – a man of letters. The oversized nose, for instance, reads like a symbol of intellect, almost a Pinocchio reference implying literary embellishment, don’t you think? Editor: I hadn't thought about that! It's interesting how such a small change can completely shift the meaning. What about the way the neck and chin seem almost elongated and undefined? Curator: Yes, that ambiguity is fascinating. The neck can be seen as vulnerability, a stripped-down state that can offer new information about the caricature, it suggests he's laying bare the essence of this "man of letters," stripping away pretense. There is another possibility based on the inscription at the bottom of the drawing. Perhaps he means to connect the subject with other famous writers, like the neck on a totem. What’s your feeling about that reading? Editor: I like the idea of vulnerability, though I also agree on how those forms can relate to the act of “connecting” writers to each other. Seeing it that way really makes it all the more symbolic and connected with social dynamics! Curator: Exactly, symbols operate within cultures. They invite that dynamic reading through a cultural and artistic understanding of imagery that is passed down between generations. I now see both, thank you! Editor: I learned a lot today about the possibilities contained within portraiture!