Vrouw met sluier, ten halven lijve 1841 - 1853

This is Johannes Tavenraat’s delicate pencil drawing ‘Woman with Veil, Half-Length’. Note how the artist renders the subject using subtle gradations of tone and minimal lines. This suggests that Tavenraat was interested less in the individuality of the sitter and more in the interplay of form and shadow. Consider how the veil, rendered with soft, flowing lines, drapes around the woman's head and shoulders, obscuring more than it reveals. The artist uses shading to create volume, particularly in the folds of the veil and along the contours of the woman's face and neck, adding depth to the drawing. By obscuring the subject, Tavenraat invites the viewer to contemplate ideas around concealment and revelation and the way identities are constructed. The sketch is not just a portrait, but a study in how light and shadow can define and, paradoxically, erase form. It reminds us that meaning is not fixed but emerges through the dynamic relationship between what is shown and what is left unseen.