Portret van Julius Constantijn Rijk 1842 - 1887

Curator: I find this portrait of Julius Constantijn Rijk, crafted sometime between 1842 and 1887 by Carel Christiaan Antony Last, so incredibly captivating in its quiet intensity. It's currently held here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Yes, it strikes me immediately with its somber mood. All those delicate lines – it feels almost fragile, like a memory captured in pencil. You can almost feel the scratch of the graphite on paper. Curator: Exactly! The artist’s choice of such an accessible and ubiquitous medium as pencil brings a sense of immediacy and intimacy to this depiction of a presumably prominent figure. One might even feel like it provides a unique entry point into the depicted subject's life and emotions. Editor: And what does it mean, to render power and authority – all those medals, the crisp uniform – in such a humble, readily available material? Think of the labor involved in transforming mere graphite into such a detailed and seemingly effortless image. What other possibilities were present in the making of the portrait and that final choice? It certainly wasn't acrylic. Curator: That’s a fascinating perspective! It prompts the question of whether this was simply a stylistic choice, aiming to capture a certain mood, or whether the limitations of the chosen medium inadvertently revealed something deeper about the sitter - or the nature of portraiture itself! A drawing, unlike painting, leaves fewer places to hide. It feels revealing. Editor: Well, consider that perhaps, back then, pencil sketches weren't just preparatory studies but were actually appreciated as independent artworks? Pencil was itself democratizing – think about it in the context of academic art which frequently idealizes the human body or subject... This portrayal acknowledges a sense of individual realness, I would say, but even reveals an essence of its making and process in pencil. Curator: Perhaps you are on to something. The artist makes very apparent to the viewer how they went about trying to create a representation of someone real... in a real moment. It also hints at its moment in time: The age of burgeoning photographic technology and artistic questioning around portraiture... Thank you, I have more ideas now... Editor: Likewise, this little artwork also helped solidify and clarify some perspectives for me too. I will revisit next time with even a deeper curiosity!