Man 't licht in d'oogen!!! 1881 - 1899

Curator: Let's explore "Man 't licht in d'oogen!!!" an ink drawing, perhaps even a caricature, created by Jan de Waardt between 1881 and 1899. Editor: It strikes me immediately with its stark contrast. The hatching and linework are incredibly expressive, giving it an almost feverish quality. What do you make of that central figure’s expression? Curator: I think we need to see it within the social landscape of its time. Late 19th-century Netherlands was grappling with rapid industrialization, shifting social hierarchies and this work really encapsulates a critique of those power structures through the lens of its central characters' physiognomy. The figure is studying what appears to be another drawing. It encapsulates self-referential commentary on portraiture, revealing more about the process of representing and interpreting subjects in art. Editor: True, there is a satirical quality to the disproportionate features. I’m drawn to how the composition uses varying densities of ink to suggest depth. The solid dark lines create a very active and engaging interplay that commands attention. How might the use of such exaggerated form play into identity in this image? Curator: Well, the caricature can be read as a symbolic deconstruction of the individual. The focus is less on individuality, but more on socio-political critique through portraiture. Editor: It is almost unsettling how stark the contrast is. And yet it manages to create an undeniably dynamic sense of motion with its almost feverish quality and line-work, particularly above the character’s head. This work experiments with light and shadow; it creates mood—do you see something beyond social commentary at work here? Curator: Beyond its socio-political underpinnings, it functions as a complex representation of turn-of-the-century societal tensions. By using a grotesque drawing style, de Waardt criticizes how industrialization and modernity warped the individual into caricature, underscoring feelings of displacement and challenging how people saw each other in that rapidly transforming period. Editor: This drawing certainly embodies an experimentation of process and that gives it an enduring quality, regardless of the specific social critiques. It is clear Jan de Waardt’s pen makes something entirely new, using dark humor and wit, capturing emotion using lines on paper, centuries later, in new ways. Curator: Ultimately, by placing the drawing within its historical frame and allowing the socio-political elements to breathe we discover that "Man 't licht in d'oogen!!!" gives an understanding of both art and historical understanding to the audience.