Blad met koppen 1840 - 1880

Editor: So, here we have “Blad met koppen,” or “Sheet with Heads,” by Johannes Tavenraat, created sometime between 1840 and 1880. It’s a drawing using ink on paper, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. I’m struck by the almost grotesque nature of these caricatures; they feel very raw and immediate. What catches your eye? Curator: Oh, aren't they just fabulous? Each face is a fleeting glimpse into a soul, wouldn't you agree? It's like Tavenraat caught them mid-thought, perhaps at a rather unflattering angle! I love the way he uses ink; the varying pressure creates such expressive lines. Makes you wonder, doesn't it, if he was working from life or from the landscapes of his own imagination? Are these portraits, or rather, distillations of personality, boiled down to their most peculiar essence? Editor: That's a fascinating way to put it. I assumed they were exaggerated studies, but the idea of them being distilled personalities makes me see them differently. There's something quite cruel but also amusing in that thought. Do you think this reflects anything about the period it was created in? Curator: Perhaps. There's a certain…frankness, shall we say, to 19th-century caricature that feels very different from the polished portraits of the time. Perhaps it's a counterpoint, a release valve for the societal pressures. Or maybe Tavenraat was just having a bit of fun! What I really enjoy are those few stray lines…See that frenetic hatching around the jowly face in the center? Editor: I do. It’s almost like a nervous energy contained within the ink. Curator: Exactly! To me, this single sheet tells a riotous story. Do these sketches make you think differently about traditional portraiture? Editor: Definitely! It humanizes it, in a strange, somewhat unsettling way. I was so caught up in my own assumptions, thanks! Curator: Art, like a winding path, should always guide us to such questions, isn't it so? And it's delightful to find such an abundance of possibilities.