Portret van Thomas Wijck c. 1626 - 1727

This is an undated pencil drawing of Thomas Wijck by an anonymous artist. The piece consists of delicate, barely-there hatching strokes that give shape to Wijck's face, hat and long hair, and a small portion of his upper body. The drawing is composed of a variety of short strokes placed in a predominantly vertical direction, following the lines of the face and hat. The anonymous artist used hatching, a method that relies on a series of parallel lines to suggest shadow and form. This technique, combined with the frontal orientation of the sitter, locks our gaze and encourages an intimate relationship. Wijck is pictured wearing a soft fur hat. The drawing's fine execution leaves open the reading of material, and we are left to reconcile the soft down of the hat with the sitter’s direct, challenging gaze. Consider the drawing’s structure and how the artist’s choice of hatching, with its inherent suggestion of movement, destabilizes any singular, fixed representation of the sitter. The drawing prompts ongoing visual reinterpretation.