Portret van een onbekende jongen 1878 - 1931

This portrait of an unknown boy by Heinrich Krabbé, held at the Rijksmuseum, is rendered in soft, muted tones. I wonder what it was like to create this work. I imagine Krabbé delicately layering the pastel, building up the boy’s features with subtle gradations of colour. The way the light catches his cheeks, the gentle curve of his mouth - there’s a tenderness in the rendering that speaks to the artist’s careful observation. The boy’s eyes are striking, piercing the subdued palette. What was he thinking? What might he be now? You can almost feel Krabbé’s hand moving across the paper, coaxing the image into being, searching for the perfect expression. Making a portrait is difficult. You’re constantly responding to the image, adjusting and refining until you achieve a likeness that captures not just appearance, but something of the spirit of the sitter. I think Krabbé did a great job.