Vrouw op stoel 1924

This print, "Vrouw op stoel" or "Woman in a chair" by Jean Emile Laboureur, is rendered in soft greys and blacks, creating a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere. It's almost like the image is emerging from the paper. I wonder what Laboureur was thinking about when he made this? He’s got this figure sitting there, almost like a ghost. You get the feeling this wasn't about capturing an exact likeness. Instead, the artist lets the lines suggest form, capturing an idea of the sitter. The hands are really interesting. Placed in front of her on her lap, they look like praying hands. The shadow behind her makes me think that she has just arrived, or is about to leave. It all makes me think about how we, as artists, are in this ongoing conversation. Each mark we make is a response to something we’ve seen or felt. Laboureur's print shows how much a single image can hold when it embraces the beauty of uncertainty.