Portret van Alexander, prins der Nederlanden 1870 - 1949

This is a portrait of Alexander, Prince of the Netherlands, by an anonymous artist. Look at the fine lines, hatched and cross-hatched, creating form and shadow. Imagine the artist, perhaps hunched over a desk, squinting, meticulously building up this likeness. You know, I bet they were thinking about getting it just right, capturing his essence. The weight of representation, right? It reminds me of those old master drawings, where every stroke counts, but there's also a kind of vulnerability in the mark-making, a humanness. How each tiny stroke makes up the bigger picture, just like in painting.