Sculptuur van Julia 1646 - 1670

Editor: We are looking at "Sculptuur van Julia," created between 1646 and 1670 by Hubert Quellinus, a pencil, coloured pencil, and paper drawing in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. It looks like a pencil sketch of a marble sculpture of a partially draped woman. The lines are very delicate. What is striking to you in this piece? Curator: Immediately, the handling of line compels attention. Note the artist's deployment of hatching and cross-hatching to articulate the form and volume of the figure. Quellinus is clearly concerned with representing three-dimensionality on a two-dimensional surface. The success of this depends heavily on the considered application of light and shadow. Do you see how the fall of light is employed? Editor: Yes, it seems strategically placed to accentuate the curves and folds, especially in the drapery. But also to make it feel like a statue carved in marble rather than a sketch. Curator: Precisely. Moreover, the sketch isn't merely representational; it conveys a specific aesthetic sensibility, reflecting Classical ideals. Consider the contrapposto stance, the idealized form. The pencil itself becomes a tool not only for depiction but also for imbuing the work with a certain gravitas and refinement. We also have to note the influence of academic art, visible in the meticulous and controlled rendering. Editor: I hadn't thought about it in such detail. Now I see how Quellinus skillfully uses light and shadow and the ideal body to pay tribute to classicism. Curator: And understanding those artistic choices, we appreciate Quellinus' skill in capturing this classical aesthetic, reducing this large, heavy, cold marble artwork to something that lives and breathes in 2D.