Kop van een jongen 1665 - 1738

Carel de Moor II created this small etching, “Head of a Boy”, sometime before his death in 1738. Observe how the image's stark contrasts evoke a sense of immediacy. The face emerges from a darker background, highlighted by a skillful play of light and shadow that accentuates the boy’s features. De Moor’s use of line is particularly striking. Notice the fine, dense hatching that models the form, creating volume and texture with an almost sculptural quality. Consider the formal aspects of this portrait in relation to semiotics. The gaze, averted yet contemplative, suggests introspection. We might interpret the tousled hair and loosely draped garment as signs of youth. De Moor challenges the strict conventions of formal portraiture by infusing it with a sense of movement and psychological depth. The interplay of light, shadow, and line invites us to consider how this etching functions not merely as a representation, but as a complex interplay of signs.