Kaardster c. 1874 - 1925

Editor: This drawing, "Kaardster" by Jan Veth, dating from around 1874 to 1925, uses pencil and pen to depict a woman seated and holding what appears to be a carding tool. I find it incredibly intimate, almost as though we're catching a private moment. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: Intimate is the perfect word! It whispers, doesn’t it? I am transported by that intense focus in her gaze, a universe held within her craft. What I find profoundly moving is the texture, the way Veth uses the simplest of lines – sometimes bold, sometimes just gossamer threads – to give form and feeling. It reminds me of a Vermeer, where quiet domesticity becomes…sacred. Do you sense that, too? Editor: I can see that parallel, especially in the way the light seems to define her form. It’s interesting that such a seemingly simple sketch holds so much depth. Curator: Exactly! It makes me ponder: what is she thinking as she works? Is she singing to herself? Dreaming? The power of realism is the ability to depict a very ordinary person, a simple setting and transform it into a moving image, filled with poetry. A way of ensuring that their voices are amplified across the ages. A reminder, isn’t it, that beauty lies in the everyday? Editor: I think so, yes. I’ve definitely learned to appreciate how even a simple drawing can offer so much insight. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Keep looking closely - and remember that a work of art always starts with you, the viewer.