Manskop met hoed en grote neus 1876 - 1924

Curator: Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof's "Man's Head with Hat and Large Nose," a pencil drawing housed here at the Rijksmuseum, presents a curious profile. Editor: It strikes me as rather hastily sketched, but full of character. The dense hatching used for the hat and hair create a solid darkness contrasted with the thin lines defining the face and suggesting a neck or shoulders. Curator: Dijsselhof was deeply engaged in symbolist circles. We can't overlook the cultural context, especially the figure’s appearance within broader conversations around class, caricature, and representation during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Consider how physiognomy shaped perceptions of individuals within power structures. Editor: But beyond that reading, I am also struck by how this was rendered using humble materials. The pencil lines on simple lined paper highlight the accessibility of image-making and perhaps offer a peek into the artist’s process and labor. Did the support limit or inspire him? It gives a raw, immediate feel. Curator: That rawness can be understood through the artist's potential critique of bourgeoise portraiture—or it is an observation of a person whom he deemed relevant or comical. His attention to detail, like the rendering of a prominent nose, serves as both social commentary and aesthetic decision, revealing gender biases of that time. Editor: The quickness also infuses it with life; you see the making of it. We can infer something of his choices regarding value, mark-making, pressure. The sketch reveals the material decisions integral to conveying social standing, even ironically. Curator: I see in this piece a lens through which to question systems that dictate who is deemed worthy of artistic representation. It challenges us to understand who holds power, which in the time this artwork was produced could easily fall under discussions about capitalism or patriarchy. Editor: I concur; it makes visible those power dynamics in that way and shows us not only what it might depict, but what and who it relies on to come to exist.