Silhouet van een Friezin 1806

Here we have Gerrit Jacobus Geusendam’s delicate silhouette of a Frisian woman. Rendered with graphite, this artwork offers a lens into the representation of regional identity during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The silhouette, popular at the time, was an accessible form of portraiture but also a signifier of status and identity. Here, the sitter's elaborate Frisian cap, adorned with lace, speaks to the unique cultural identity of Friesland and the importance of regional pride. The stark black silhouette against the plain background invites us to consider the interplay between visibility and concealment, and the ways in which identity is both performed and perceived. Consider how Geusendam’s work, while seemingly straightforward, opens up broader conversations about gender, regionalism, and the construction of cultural identity. It emphasizes not just what is seen, but what the artist chooses to reveal, and what remains in shadow.