Portret van Stefan George en Albert Verwey 1902

This small portrait, by Jan Toorop, is at the Rijksmuseum. It depicts Stefan George and Albert Verwey, using pencil on zinc. The grey surface fizzes with a metallic sheen, like looking at something underwater. I’m drawn to the economy of Toorop’s lines. Look closely, and you can see how he’s scratched and feathered the pencil to create texture. Notice how, around the eyes, the pencil line suddenly thickens and darkens, pulling the figures into focus. I love the way this work embraces the unfinished, the slightly out-of-kilter. It’s not trying to fool you into thinking it’s ‘real’, like a photograph. Instead, it shows its working, celebrating the act of drawing. The piece reminds me of the work of Jasper Johns, particularly his use of muted tones and his interest in the surface of the painting as an active space. This piece is all about process, about the ongoing conversation between artist, subject, and material.