Portret van een kind 1883 - 1922

This is Johanna van de Kamer's sketch of a child's portrait, rendered with graphite on paper. The composition is immediately striking for its stark simplicity, and the immediacy of the strokes. Observe the artist's strategic use of line and shading: loose, gestural lines deftly capture the child's likeness. It seems that there is a subversion of traditional portraiture. Van de Kamer has destabilized the usual emphasis on precise representation. The sketch is less about capturing a perfect image and more about exploring form and expression. Notice the way the artist uses the barest of marks to suggest depth and volume, especially around the eyes. This economy of means speaks to a deeper understanding of form and a desire to convey essence over surface detail. The sketch embodies a shift towards abstraction, inviting viewers to actively participate in constructing meaning from minimal cues. It’s an open invitation to explore the poetics of form and line.