Portret van Josephine Baker c. 1930 - 1950

This is A. Ducand’s striking portrait of Josephine Baker, held at the Rijksmuseum. Executed with bold linework, the print demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of positive and negative space. The stark contrast between black and white flattens the image, emphasizing the graphic quality of the design. Notice how Ducand uses strong lines to define Baker's features. These choices create not just a likeness, but an icon. The reduction of form to essential lines and shapes mirrors the broader modernist project of stripping away ornamentation to reveal the underlying structure. This print participates in a cultural dialogue, using Baker's image to explore themes of identity, representation, and the gaze. It is an exercise in visual encoding, inviting us to consider how meaning is constructed through form. We are left to ponder how the formal aspects of the work—its lines, shapes, and stark contrasts—contribute to an ongoing discourse.