Portret van Charley Toorop, kijkend in een platenboek 1898

Editor: This etching, "Portret van Charley Toorop, kijkend in een platenboek," or "Portrait of Charley Toorop, Looking at a Picture Book," created in 1898 by Jan Toorop, has this wonderful, dreamy quality to it. The lines are so delicate. What catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: It feels like a memory, doesn't it? That hazy quality almost pulls you into that quiet moment. It's interesting how Toorop uses such a limited palette – just the sepia tones of the etching – to evoke a whole world of childhood imagination. Do you notice how the lines aren't always precise? There's a deliberate looseness. It gives a sense of intimacy, like we're peeking into a private world. The young girl seems completely absorbed. What do you make of that oversized book? Editor: It looks almost like she's disappeared *into* it! Maybe Toorop's playing with scale to show the power of stories. It’s like, the world of the book is larger than life. There’s something almost unsettling about that flower detail. It appears to loom, threatening to envelope the child Curator: You're right! Maybe he's commenting on the dual nature of stories—the way they enchant and, perhaps, can even overwhelm us, particularly when we are young. It is also a glimpse into his family life, which adds depth to the emotional texture of the artwork. The girl here is his daughter Charley, and to be given such private access feels intimate. I would wager Toorop understood stories have the potential to teach us as well as misguide us. Editor: I never thought of it that way before. I initially focused on how peaceful it seemed. Curator: And it is peaceful, yet the peace feels earned by confronting an underlying uncertainty. What do you think we're meant to make of it? Editor: I think the experience has certainly heightened my interest in peeking at these old etchings and prints more frequently. Curator: Mine, as well. I suppose there is magic everywhere!