Dubbelportret van kunstenaar Willem Müller en een man, genaamd Frederiks c. 1883 - 1914

Editor: Here we have Floris Arntzenius' "Double Portrait of the Artist Willem Műller and a man called Frederiks," crafted sometime between 1883 and 1914, employing both ink and pencil. There's something unfinished and intimate about this work, like we're catching a glimpse of a private moment. What's your take on it? Curator: Ah, a wonderfully moody piece. For me, it's about the *unfinished* - the suggestion of character rather than concrete reality. I find it dreamlike, and it calls to mind late-night conversations in dimly lit studios. Look how Arntzenius uses the negative space; Frederiks almost fades into memory. Do you get that sense too? Editor: Definitely. It's almost ghostly. It’s interesting how much personality is conveyed with so few defined lines. I guess that adds to that feeling of intimacy. Curator: Precisely! It is the artist sharing a slice of his internal world. Notice how Mueller is positioned forward. His hand placed on his face in such a pose looks burdened or deep in thought. Arntzenius seems to understand and respects that internal thinking and then reflects it onto the page. What a special connection captured in the image. Editor: That makes a lot of sense. Thanks! I'll definitely look at unfinished works with new eyes now and think of the 'dream state'. Curator: My pleasure! I love how art opens a portal. These sorts of drawings act as time machines back to very specific feelings and memories, don't you think?