Vrouwenhoofd 1925

Otto Verhagen made this small etching, Vrouwenhoofd, sometime during the early 20th century. It’s a quiet piece, achieved through delicate lines and a subtle tonal range. The fine lines create a sense of detail, and give this depiction of a woman a slightly ethereal quality, as if she’s emerging from the paper itself. The artist’s hand is really apparent in those lines. You can see the pressure he applied, the way each mark contributes to the overall image. See how the cross hatching suggests the curves of her cheek, or the gentle slope of her closed eyelid. There’s a lot of softness and grace, but with a touch of melancholic beauty. It reminds me a little of Odilon Redon's prints, with their dreamlike qualities, or maybe some of Whistler's more intimate portraits. I see this piece as part of an ongoing conversation about form and emotion. Ultimately, it is in this ambiguity that the artwork finds its power.