Portret van een onbekende man c. 1887 - 1892

This charcoal drawing, "Portret van een onbekende man" (Portrait of an Unknown Man), was created by Willem Witsen, a prominent Dutch artist, between 1887 and 1892. The work, currently housed in the Rijksmuseum, captures the subject’s profile, tilted upward in a thoughtful or perhaps melancholic pose, with a strong emphasis on the play of light and shadow across the face. The undefined background and the sketchy style of the drawing add to the enigmatic and almost melancholic mood of the work.