Portret van een onbekende man met bril c. 1886 - 1891

Editor: Here we have Willem Witsen's "Portret van een onbekende man met bril," made around 1886-1891. It's a pencil drawing, and the paper looks quite aged. The sketchiness makes it feel very intimate, like a glimpse into the artist's process. How do you interpret this work, considering its historical context? Curator: Well, consider the period—the late 19th century. This was a time of intense social and intellectual upheaval. Portraiture was still a dominant form, but it was evolving. This "unknown man" interests me. Who was he? A friend, a model, or perhaps a representation of the burgeoning intellectual class, signified by his glasses? Editor: That's interesting; I hadn't thought about the glasses as symbolic. Curator: Absolutely. And note the drawing's style. It is rendered on toned, aged paper, which might speak to the passage of time and the way identities become obscured or revealed across generations. Witsen likely kept it in a personal sketchbook which signifies his personal process of capturing and observing different characters he met during his life. The very act of sketching was a radical statement as photography grew and portraits could be captured "instantly". It questions art's very purpose during the 19th century and raises awareness regarding ideas of realism vs. expression. Editor: So you see the "unknown man" as a stand-in for broader social shifts? Curator: Precisely. This is not just a face, it is also a time. By choosing to depict this man, and especially by capturing it on pencil, Witsen is, perhaps unintentionally, reflecting his stance toward realism and expression, masculinity and the value of traditional forms as compared to more modern modes of representing images. It tells us as much about the artist as it does his subject. What does that tension evoke for you? Editor: It really highlights how art can be a powerful tool for commenting on society. I learned that every aspect is deliberate. Curator: Exactly! This dialogue enriches our understanding of art history as an agent of change and a form of storytelling.