Portret van Woltera Geertruida, Gravin van Limburg Stirum en Gravin Frederika Augusta 1855

This portrait of Woltera Geertruida and Frederika Augusta, Countesses of Limburg Stirum, was made by Eastman Johnson using graphite and black chalk on paper. Johnson has used a range of rendering techniques to bring out the personalities of these young aristocrats. Notice the soft, hazy background compared to the crisply defined faces and dresses of the sisters, created by carefully controlled gradations of tone. This was not simply a matter of drawing skill, but the artist’s careful manipulation of his materials. The tooth of the paper is also critical here, allowing the chalk and graphite to catch on the surface, creating subtle variations in tone and texture. In the nineteenth century, the rise of graphite as a drawing material coincided with the industrial revolution, and an increased demand for affordable portraiture. Drawings like this one could be produced relatively quickly, and at a lower cost than painted portraits. Ultimately, it’s the interplay between the artist’s hand, the inherent qualities of the materials, and the social context that gives this portrait its enduring appeal.