Portret van dr. Jacob Christiaan Muller c. 1884

Editor: This is Willem Witsen’s "Portret van dr. Jacob Christiaan Muller," a pencil drawing from around 1884. It strikes me as a very intimate portrait. What do you see in it? Curator: I see a study in interiority. Note how the closed eyes immediately pull us inward. Eyes are often considered windows to the soul, but here, denied that direct access, we are compelled to consider what internal landscape the subject inhabits. The slight downturn of the mouth, the almost weary droop of the eyelids. It speaks to a certain psychological weight. Do you see how the looseness of the lines around his head contrast to the tighter strokes defining the face? Editor: I do! It's like a halo of thought. A less defined… intellectual presence maybe? Curator: Precisely! Witsen is using the pencil to capture not just a likeness but also the very essence of thought and introspection. The doctor's gaze, though unseen, still carries immense power because we are forced to confront our interpretations. What could be on his mind? What are his worries? Are these universal? Consider how our modern understanding of psychology was forming in the late 19th century and how portraiture reflects this changing interest in the inner life. Editor: That makes so much sense. It is definitely more than just a likeness. It’s as if Witsen is inviting us to psychoanalyze the sitter ourselves. Curator: He is asking us to recognize our shared humanity. Editor: I will definitely never see portraits the same way again! Thanks! Curator: And I am reminded that the best art invites constant re-evaluation through the viewer's own personal lens.