Blad met studies van hoofden 1824 - 1891

Curator: This is titled "Blad met studies van hoofden" – "Sheet with studies of heads"– a pen and ink drawing, by Polynice Auguste Viette, created sometime between 1824 and 1891. What's your initial take? Editor: There's an energy in it! A nervous, quicksilver feel. All these different faces, seemingly observed at different times. Like catching fleeting thoughts. Curator: It feels like a personal sketchbook page. A mind at work. There's something so intimate about seeing these glimpses, right? The artist wasn't necessarily thinking of an audience. Editor: Precisely! And that’s what’s fascinating. It has a wonderfully unfinished quality. I keep getting drawn to the man in profile at the bottom— he feels like a classical Roman bust somehow rendered with very modern, anxious lines. Curator: It speaks to the way classical art continued to influence artistic practice through the 19th century, especially as an exercise for honing skills of observation. It looks like Viette practiced capturing quick character sketches, playing with light and shadow. Look at the expressive hatching. Editor: You're spot on. The figure above him, though... With the ornate dress, beard, and what appears to be a smaller head resting on top! Do you think there is symbolic significance at work here? Or a satirical wink? Curator: Perhaps! Consider the historical context. This period sees increasing interest in caricature and social commentary. Maybe he's poking fun at figures of authority. We should look into this particular symbolism within Viette’s broader oeuvre. Editor: Absolutely! And it hints at art as a tool for playful invention. The images invite viewers into an engaging, almost dreamlike visual game. Curator: Indeed. Looking at this work has brought me closer to Viette, his processes, perhaps, even the spirit of his time. It reminds us that even quick sketches can be surprisingly revealing. Editor: Yes, the sketch, in all its fleeting energy, really opens up something essential and enduring about what it means to see—and to be seen.