Staand man met pijp c. 1800 - 1900

Curator: This striking ink drawing, likely dating from around 1800 to 1900, is called "Standing Man with Pipe," and we believe it to be the work of a Monogrammist GT. Editor: It's incredibly whimsical, almost comical! The figure seems both puffed up with self-importance and deeply, quietly bemused. The bold linework really gives him a robust presence. Curator: I see exactly what you mean. The artist's use of contour lines definitely sculpts a larger-than-life presence. There's a definite economy in the line work, but it speaks volumes. Notice how the hatching around his cap and collar defines form and texture without overwhelming the composition. It's all very carefully considered, you see. Editor: But, what fascinates me most is how the shadow cast by his feet seems more assertive than the figure himself. Is that meant to tell us something about how his inner life projects? Maybe it's the boldness of the shadow compared to the sketch-like rendering of the figure above it? It feels slightly out of joint in terms of semiotic balance. Curator: That's a really perceptive reading! It is difficult to determine, but it feels as though it might almost be a kind of personal caricature. Perhaps from a sketchbook; that raw and direct energy you often get in such works. But how the artist uses those blacks for weighting and volume—the subtle touch, really it’s quite masterful when you start unpacking it, right? Editor: Absolutely! It makes you think about what might be hidden in other sketchbooks. A whole hidden world. Curator: It truly does. The artist really manages to encapsulate such personality and invites you to consider, too, the inner character, perhaps a satire, from a bygone time. What an invitation into another world.