Hoofd van een vrouw met opgestoken haar c. 1916

Curator: Here in the Rijksmuseum, we have "Head of a Woman with her Hair Up," dating from around 1916. It's a drawing executed with pencil and graphite, and is attributed to Reijer Stolk. Editor: There’s an incredible vulnerability conveyed through those pencil strokes, isn't there? Almost like we're glimpsing a private moment, a study more than a finished portrait. Curator: Indeed. Stolk wasn't exactly a household name. He navigated a difficult period in the Netherlands. His involvement with the artist groups speaks volumes about his social and artistic engagements. There was undoubtedly a conscious choice of subject matter to position himself artistically. Editor: The seeming incompleteness resonates. Look how the shading around the woman's head almost obscures her, while the lower portion, near what could be her collar, seems undefined. I find it so compelling. Considering that artistic context, and also what was going on more widely in 1916, during the Great War, one can interpret a symbolic meaning that suggests vulnerability, and loss of control. Curator: That's a fair interpretation. The gestural marks and shifting perspectives employed do signal a sense of modernity breaking from established forms. I can certainly understand your emphasis on its incompleteness as it seems the artwork deliberately resists polish in favour of an intimate study. Editor: The lack of precise detail really pulls at me. Consider the female gaze historically within art and society. Her lowered head almost serves as a rebuttal. She isn't on display in any way, no grand narrative. The quiet intimacy and the unfinished aspect pushes us to think about the female experience outside of constructed or acceptable paradigms. It opens up discussion around class, labor, social structures of the time, especially when we center this image within his body of work. Curator: A nuanced take, really. I agree; viewing this head study alongside Stolk’s involvement within socialist movements certainly casts a new light on his choices. It speaks to a shift, towards greater social consciousness amongst artists and artistic groups. It definitely moves past a simple sketch. Editor: Absolutely. Thank you, it enriches the overall context, it really adds layers. Curator: Likewise, and to those of you listening, I encourage you to seek out more of Stolk’s output, it may surprise you.