Portret van Daniel Krehbiel 1904

Jan Veth made this portrait of Daniel Krehbiel with graphite, carefully building tone to create a sense of form. The surface is so worked, isn't it? Look closely at the beard and the hat, see how they are built up of hatching and cross-hatching. In places these dense lines create a darker, more textured area, while elsewhere the lines are more sparse, creating a sense of light and air. There’s a real tenderness in the depiction of the face. The lines around the eyes and mouth are so delicate, they give the impression of age and experience. It makes me think about the amount of time Veth must have spent with Krehbiel, observing his features, getting to know him. Veth seems preoccupied with creating a likeness, whilst also wanting to show us the work that goes into that process, the care and attention required. It reminds me of the portraits of Lucian Freud, not so much in style, but in the way both artists seem to be searching for something beyond the surface. With Freud you get the sense he wants to dig beneath the surface of the skin, to expose the inner workings of the subject.