Kleine Johannes en Windekind before 1887

Willem van Konijnenburg created this drawing with pencil and chalk. Konijnenburg was working during a time when the Netherlands was struggling to define its cultural identity amidst broader European movements. The ethereal sketch shows a nude female figure surrounded by flowers. Her elongated figure and flowing hair embody an aesthetic that was meant to move away from the realism of earlier art movements. The piece's symbolism draws from both classical mythology and the burgeoning symbolist movement, which saw artists turning inward to explore themes of spirituality and the subconscious. By depicting the female nude amongst symbolic imagery, Konijnenburg treads a line between celebrating the beauty of the human form and engaging with deeper existential questions. Consider the complex ways the artwork touches on the individual and societal concerns that were prevalent at the time.