Oude vrouw naar rechts 1829

Anthonie Willem Hendrik Nolthenius de Man created this small etching titled 'Old Woman Facing Right' in 1829. What strikes us first is the density of lines, a veritable thicket scratched into the plate. Look at how these lines define not just the form of the woman, but also the space around her. The etched lines build up a complex pattern of light and shadow, creating a rich texture. The subject, an elderly woman, is rendered with a kind of raw honesty. The netting of lines around her head softening into the fabric, contrasted to the deep wrinkles. The artist destabilizes conventional portraiture through the immediacy of his graphic language. It is not just a depiction of an individual; it becomes a study in the language of etching itself. The deliberate imperfections in the lines, the rough texture of the image, all challenge our expectations. The image becomes a discourse on the nature of representation itself, questioning how we construct meaning through the simplest of marks.