Koppen 1868

"Koppen" (Heads), an 1868 ink drawing by Dutch artist Johannes Tavenraat, features nine expressive profile portraits. The composition, rendered in quick, gestural strokes, demonstrates the artist's talent for capturing character through subtle exaggeration of features. These studies, characteristic of Tavenraat's work, exemplify his fascination with the human face, which he often explored in his caricatures and portraits. The piece, housed in the Rijksmuseum, is a small yet powerful example of Tavenraat's mastery of pen and ink.