Koppen 1868

Johannes Tavenraat made this expressive study of heads using pen in the nineteenth century. Tavenraat lived through a period of significant social change in the Netherlands, witnessing the transition from monarchy to a more liberal constitutional state, a time which saw the rise of a new middle class and shifts in social norms. The characters in this sketch, with their pronounced features, may reflect Tavenraat's interest in physiognomy, a popular pseudo-science of the time that sought to determine a person's character based on their external appearance. These faces with their strong noses and furrowed brows, might have been seen as markers of character or social standing. What does it mean to look at someone and believe you can read their personality or worth? How do you feel about the gaze that's bestowed on these figures? This drawing makes us consider the cultural biases embedded in how we perceive each other.