Portret van Charley Toorop, kijkend in een platenboek 1898

Jan Toorop sketched this intimate portrait of his daughter Charley looking at a picture book at an unknown date. The Dutch father-daughter bond on display reflects a broader cultural interest in childhood and domestic life that was emerging across Europe at the time. The delicate pencil lines capture Charley's absorption in the book and the cozy domestic interior. This interior suggests a comfortable, middle-class existence. Note the patterned wallpaper, decorative plate, and neatly arranged furniture, all visual cues of bourgeois taste. The image creates a sense of quiet contemplation, an ethos that was valued amongst the growing middle classes in Europe. To understand this sketch more fully, one could look at family archives, letters, and other documents to explore the Toorop's social circle, and the artistic and intellectual influences that shaped their lives. Ultimately, this small sketch offers us a window into the cultural values and social relationships of its time.