Portret van een meisje 1895 - 1896

Eugène Martel captured this young girl on paper with pencil, immortalizing her with great precision. The slight asymmetry of her pigtails frames a face of emerging self-awareness. Note how her hands meet at her neck. This gesture, often found in classical portraits, speaks to modesty and introspection. Think of Venus Pudica, covering herself, an echo of innocence and protection. It is a subtle assertion of modesty but also a display of virtue. We see this echoed in countless portraits across centuries, each time slightly altered, shifting with cultural nuances, yet rooted in the primal act of self-regard. The girl's eyes meet ours with a directness that belies her tender age, hinting at a self-possession that is both captivating and slightly unsettling. Through such echoes, Martel's sketch becomes a powerful force, engaging us on a deeply subconscious level. The gesture of clasped hands around the neck, a motif that has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.