Peinzende jongeman met sigarenpijpje 1865 - 1930

This is "Peinzende jongeman met sigarenpijpje," or "Pensive young man with cigar pipe," a pencil drawing by Jac van Looij. The composition immediately directs our gaze to the sitter's face, framed by his hand and the stem of the pipe. Looij’s masterful use of line and shadow constructs the pensive mood. The face is softly modeled with delicate hatching, while the background dissolves into a blur of vertical strokes, creating depth through contrast. The subject’s introspective gaze aligns with late 19th-century Symbolist concerns, capturing an internal psychological state rather than mere external appearances. The cigar pipe, a common symbol, here evokes a sense of contemplation. Note the economy of line and tonal range which suggest form, and how this creates an emotional connection. Through careful study, Looij prompts us to contemplate the intangible realm of human thought and emotion.