Portret van de schilder Frederik Hendricksz. Vroom, staande voor een schildersezel 1610 - 1667

Editor: So, here we have a portrait from somewhere between 1610 and 1667, titled "Portret van de schilder Frederik Hendricksz. Vroom, staande voor een schildersezel," or "Portrait of the painter Frederik Hendricksz. Vroom, standing before an easel." It’s a drawing, graphite on paper. There’s such a gentleness to it, almost a fragility. What do you see in this work? Curator: Fragility, yes! It's the tender confidence of a sketch, isn't it? An artist capturing another artist. What’s fascinating is the raw honesty of it. No grand pronouncements, just a quiet moment. I wonder what they talked about, these two artists. Maybe it was simply shop talk or was there something deeper that drew them to see and capture each other? Editor: Shop talk, perhaps. I can almost imagine the rustle of paper as the artist sketches, maybe some jokes exchanged between them. I love how much the detail brings to the outfit. I had never seen so much detail with graphite on paper. Curator: Notice how his eyes almost seem to follow you, no matter where you stand? And consider the lack of bright colors. A black and white filter of that time. Editor: True. This makes me wonder; do you think this portrait reveals more about the subject, Frederik, or more about the artist who drew him? Curator: That's the magic of portraiture, isn't it? It's a dialogue, a negotiation between two souls. Perhaps it reveals as much, if not more, about the observer as it does the observed. A reflection in graphite and paper of how the artist *sees* Frederik. The artist is speaking through the tip of the graphite to illustrate Frederick as they were during the illustration session. It is something new every time one redraws Frederick. Editor: So, it’s almost like a mirror reflecting both of them back at us. Curator: Precisely!