Portret van Lizzy, in profiel naar rechts 1874 - 1918

Martinus van Andringa created this watercolor portrait of Lizzy at the turn of the 20th century. Watercolors have a delicate, almost ethereal quality, and Andringa truly exploits this. The wispy strokes and muted palette create a dreamlike impression. It’s a classic fine art material, yet the way Andringa handles it is far from academic. He builds up form from a constellation of tiny marks, with a confident hand. The portrait has a sketch-like quality, and that captures something of its social context, too. As the Industrial Revolution spread, the middle classes had more access to art materials, enabling them to create works like this. The delicate lace detailing of Lizzy's high-necked gown subtly indicates an elevated social position, while also referencing the labor-intensive craft traditions that made such finery possible. By focusing on the making of art, we appreciate how technique, materials, and social history are interwoven. This challenges our conventional notions of what constitutes ‘high art’.