Koppen 1840 - 1880

Curator: Welcome. We are standing before Johannes Tavenraat's "Koppen", created sometime between 1840 and 1880. It’s a fascinating series of head studies rendered in pen and ink, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first impression? It's a bit raw, almost like eavesdropping on the artist’s private thoughts. The faces feel incredibly expressive despite the minimal lines. There's a dark comedy in those exaggerated features. Curator: Precisely! Tavenraat was known for his genre paintings and portraits, and these sketches showcase his remarkable skill in capturing character with swift, decisive strokes. Observe the economical use of line to define the contours, the shading that suggests depth, the almost caricaturist nature of some of the faces. Editor: I see them as emotional weather vanes! Each face, a gust of feeling: anger, amusement, contemplation. It’s interesting to consider what Tavenraat wanted to say through those. Why this insistent focus on the grotesque and the common? Is he making fun of authority? Highlighting a particular truth, you think? Curator: The "realism" movement Tavenraat moved in embraced everyday life. His sketches capture the visages of the working class with unflinching accuracy, rather than idealizing them, there's something beautifully democratic in that vision. Editor: Yes! Each portrait capturing that unique lived in character! Like capturing that beautiful thing in broken everyday pottery! What's not to love about it? It is also interesting to note the arrangement and how its fragment complements that character of unpretentious honesty. A simple slice out of his artist book, as simple and authentic as those heads. Curator: That's a beautiful way of phrasing it! The drawing does not pose as something bigger. Tavenraat wasn't necessarily trying to make some grand artistic statement; rather, he appears interested in humanity itself, and in that commitment there is great integrity. Editor: An invitation to be more intimate and a great chance to admire something raw! It reminds us that observation is the heart of all art! Curator: Absolutely. Hopefully, that sheds some light on this work for you. Thanks for joining us.