Portret van Jacques Vekemans before 1912

This portrait of Jacques Vekemans was made with a pencil by Joseph Edouard Van Looy. It’s like he’s trying to capture something that’s both there and not there, you know? Van Looy teases out this incredible range of tones. Look at the way he renders the beard. It’s this cascade of delicate lines, almost like he’s trying to trap light itself. It feels incredibly intimate, like the artist is right there, studying every line and shadow on Vekemans' face. I’m reminded of Whistler, who was also interested in tonal arrangements. But while Whistler often went for a kind of dreamy atmosphere, Van Looy’s work feels more grounded. It’s like he’s saying, "Here is a person, in all their complexity.” It’s less about beauty and more about truth, or at least, his version of it.