Vrouw in Hollandse klederdracht 1874

George Clausen’s pencil sketch captures a "Vrouw in Hollandse klederdracht" with subtle yet deliberate strokes. Notice the interplay between the defined face and the ethereal clothing. Clausen uses delicate lines to capture the essence of the woman’s traditional Dutch costume, contrasting the transient with the grounded. The sketch is dominated by a sense of lightness, achieved through minimal shading and an open composition that allows the underlying paper to breathe. The use of line—sparse yet suggestive—creates a visual rhythm that draws you in. The woman's gaze is direct, while the unfinished quality of the sketch invites you to complete the image. Here, form serves not just to represent but to evoke, creating a dialogue between what is shown and what is left unsaid. This visual dynamic allows us to perceive not only the subject's likeness, but also the nature of representation itself.