Zes portretten van mannen 1832 - 1902

Karel Frederik Bombled created this cluster of portraits in pen on paper. The six men, drawn with brisk strokes, are arranged in a loose triangular composition that directs the eye from one face to the next. Bombled’s technique is spare yet expressive, deftly capturing the essence of each sitter. Note the economical use of line, the shading suggesting volume, and the swiftness of the strokes that delineate each distinct physiognomy. The composition allows the viewer to contrast the minute detail of the faces with the broad, white space of the background, which accentuates the formal qualities of the portraits. The artist’s hand is evident in the immediacy of the lines, which gives a unique identity to each man. By stripping down the portraits to their bare essentials, Bombled directs our focus to the structural elements of line and form and prompts us to ponder on the subtleties of perception.