Portret van de schrijver Pol de Mont, en profil 1889 - 1949

This is Herman Moerkerk's portrait of Pol de Mont, probably done with charcoal, and it’s all about the dance of line and shadow, isn’t it? You can see the way he's built up the image with these quick, scribbly marks. It’s almost like he’s feeling his way around the contours of the face, letting the charcoal do its thing. I love how some areas are really dark and dense, like around the hair, and then other parts are left almost bare, just a suggestion of form. Look at the way the lines gather and disperse around the nose and mouth – it’s so expressive! It reminds me a bit of those quick portrait sketches you see from the early 20th century. There’s a looseness here, a sense of capturing a fleeting moment, that feels very modern and alive. Like a conversation rather than a pronouncement, it is a process that leaves room for interpretation.