Theod. Jorissen 1891

Curator: What a contemplative profile. There’s a certain gravitas about this face, wouldn't you agree? Editor: It certainly has a quiet power. This drawing, simply titled "Theod. Jorissen," was crafted by Jan Veth around 1891 and it's housed right here in the Rijksmuseum. I’m intrigued by the medium—pencil on paper—so delicate, yet conveying such strength. Curator: Strength born from a delicate understanding of human character. It feels like Veth wasn't merely drawing lines but tracing the contours of Jorissen's very soul. That slight furrow of the brow hints at some interior reflection, a wrestling with thoughts perhaps. Editor: Look at how the beard and hair are rendered; they almost seem to absorb the light, becoming a kind of symbolic thicket around his face, hiding and revealing simultaneously. There’s a long tradition of beards representing wisdom or maturity, particularly in depictions of scholars or religious figures. Curator: Perhaps. Or perhaps it’s just the beard of a man of the late 19th century. There's a realism to it that speaks volumes too, a refusal to idealize or sanitize. He shows the man as he is, wrinkles and all. The slightly softened edges also soften the feel of him. It adds to the warmth of the portrait, don’t you think? Editor: Absolutely. And even in the limited tonal range, the artist conveys such depth, which almost makes the image dreamlike in its nature, drawing us in, almost like folklore of memory that resonates within a very familiar visage, but never actually quite pinpoints why we know him. It makes us linger. Curator: Indeed. It makes one ponder on what stories this man, this Theod. Jorissen, could tell. A history lesson written on the canvas of a face. It’s just… human. Editor: Beautifully said. A quiet, powerful piece that speaks volumes with whispers of pencil on paper, a masterclass by Jan Veth, which is not too showy for all its inherent craft.