Abraham de Geweldige 1914 - 1918

This is a black and white caricature of Abraham Kuyper by Albert Hahn. The process of making a work like this is a kind of performance. I imagine Hahn sitting with his pen, watching Kuyper, thinking about how to capture his essence in just a few lines. Look how he emphasizes the weight of the man’s features. Those heavy jowls and the deep-set eyes peering out from behind his glasses. I’m thinking about what Hahn might have been thinking as he drew each line, exaggerating certain features to make a statement. The way the cross-hatching is laid down, it’s not just about volume or form. It communicates a certain feeling, an attitude. It’s as if Hahn is saying something about power, about the weight of responsibility, or maybe even about the absurdity of it all. Artists are constantly in dialogue, riffing off each other's ideas, responding to the world around them. This image continues to speak across time.