Twee opzij kijkende mannenkoppen 1752

Here is the audio guide script: This tiny drawing renders two men’s heads in ink on paper, its strokes capturing their gaze turned towards some unseen point. The man on the left is built from tight hatching, its controlled density giving him weight and solidity. By contrast, the right figure uses open, swirling lines that suggest lightness and movement. The graphic marks of ink on paper serve to not just represent, but to construct ideas about perception and expression. Füssli uses line as a code, a semiotic tool to build his forms. The direction and density of each stroke work as signifiers, guiding our eye and shaping our understanding of each face. Füssli’s drawing is an exercise in understanding and deconstructing the visual language of art. By reducing the human form to its most basic elements, he prompts us to consider how we interpret and construct meaning from the simplest of signs.