Studies van vissen 1876 - 1924

Curator: This interesting drawing from Rijksmuseum is entitled “Studies van vissen,” or “Studies of Fish,” by Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof, created sometime between 1876 and 1924. Editor: My initial reaction is one of quiet observation. It feels like a glimpse into the artist's personal musings, a private page from a sketchbook, the delicate lines creating a sense of movement just below the surface. Curator: Yes, observe how Dijsselhof uses line, the pressure and direction modulating to suggest form. There's a tension between representation and pure abstraction. It isn’t a naturalist depiction, but the structural rendering of these piscine subjects, almost architectural in its simplicity. Editor: Fish, of course, have a deep and layered symbolic meaning throughout cultures. The fish represents fertility, abundance, transformation; it’s also a religious symbol—Christ as the fisher of men. In personal sketchbooks such as this one, the symbolism gains intimacy; they may have represented his ideas about nature's fecundity and transformation during that time. Curator: And do consider how Dijsselhof presents variations on a theme; these studies allow us insight into the genesis of his ideas, revealing his approach to rendering. This is where we witness a pure and intimate engagement with form and line. Note the varied approach to shading, and how even small details impact the gestalt of the work. Editor: Right—it seems that this sketchbook study reflects on the subconscious meaning-making inherent in observing the natural world, something innate within our psyche—as it were, these symbolic meanings are fished out from the subconscious sea. Curator: Very well said! Dijsselhof has truly achieved an artwork where process informs our perception. Editor: Yes, it leaves me thinking about how symbols embed themselves in both our conscious and subconscious lives, like fossilised forms.