Studie van handen voor het (onvoltooide) olieverfschilderij van de Nederlandse rechtbank in Londen, juni 1942. Possibly 1942 - 1946

Editor: This is "Studie van handen voor het (onvoltooide) olieverfschilderij van de Nederlandse rechtbank in Londen, juni 1942," a pencil drawing by Anton Abraham van Anrooy, likely made between 1942 and 1946. It’s quite delicate; the hands look almost like they’re floating. What do you see in this piece, beyond a simple hand study? Curator: Well, immediately, I’m struck by the context. This was conceived during a tumultuous period. Hands, in this light, can be interpreted as tools of labor, oppression, or even justice. Considering this was a study for a painting of a Dutch court in London during the war, the meaning multiplies. Whose hands are these, and what power do they hold? Editor: That’s fascinating! I hadn’t considered the weight they carry given the historical circumstances. Curator: Exactly. The incompleteness, too, speaks volumes. Was the full picture of justice itself unattainable at that time? This image raises potent questions about the nature of justice during wartime. Look at the lines – notice the pressure and shading used for the dominant hand. What might that emphasis represent? Editor: Perhaps the burden of responsibility on those particular hands, maybe related to authority. Curator: Precisely. And it makes us think about the other hands involved. Are they powerless or complicit? Even in a seemingly simple sketch, the artist hints at a far more complex social and political reality. Editor: It's incredible how much the historical context transforms my reading of such a simple image. It speaks to the struggle for power and questions of justice in the shadow of war. Curator: Absolutely, and I think the value here is in seeing art history as deeply intertwined with other histories. These sketches allow us an intimate understanding of a specific time period.