Portret van een onbekende man 1907

Johan Henri Gustaaf Cohen Gosschalk made this portrait of an unknown man with pencil on paper. Look at the density of the pencil marks as they build form and volume, and the way that Gosschalk uses hatching and cross-hatching to create a sense of depth and shadow. Can you see how the texture of the paper subtly comes through? I imagine Gosschalk, deeply focused, almost meditative, carefully layering each stroke, and slowly coaxing the figure into existence through touch. The mood is sombre, pensive. It's as if Gosschalk is not just recording the likeness of the sitter, but also trying to capture something of his inner state, maybe even a shared feeling between them. In that sense, portraiture can be an intimate dance.