Man, in profiel naar rechts 1865 - 1913

This is "Man, in profiel naar rechts," a pencil drawing by Bramine Hubrecht, held at the Rijksmuseum. The artwork immediately strikes you with its sparseness. A profile of a man, rendered with delicate, almost hesitant lines, occupies a small portion of the paper. The dominance of negative space makes the figure appear fragile, almost ephemeral. Hubrecht's use of line is particularly interesting here. Notice how the varying pressure creates a sense of volume and depth, while also contributing to the overall sense of incompleteness. This drawing can be seen through a lens of structuralist inquiry. The figure is presented not as a fully realized individual, but rather as a collection of lines and forms. The semiotic analysis reveals how Hubrecht deconstructs the traditional portrait, challenging the idea of a fixed, coherent identity. The man is not defined, but suggested, inviting the viewer to engage in the process of meaning-making. Ultimately, this work exemplifies how an artist can destabilize conventional modes of representation, inviting us to rethink our understanding of form and identity.