Portret van Onny van Spingler 1916

This is Willem Witsen’s portrait of Onny van Spingler, made with graphite and pastel. The drawing emphasizes a softened realism through its understated palette and focus on the sitter’s visage. Witsen's composition balances the detailed rendering of Onny's face with a more diffuse treatment of her hair and dress, using chiaroscuro to create depth and volume. The subtle hatching and cross-hatching techniques lend a tactile quality to the portrait, inviting a closer examination of its surface. This work illustrates an intersection between traditional portraiture and the emerging modernist interest in surface and materiality. The careful arrangement of light and shadow suggests a deeper engagement with capturing not just likeness, but also character. The restraint in color and the attention to tonal variation reflect a nuanced understanding of how formal elements can convey psychological depth, marking a departure from purely representational goals.