Schetsen van rozen 

Editor: This is "Schetsen van rozen," or "Sketches of Roses" by Léon Spilliaert, created using pencil. It has such a delicate, almost ghostly feel to it. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The "ghostly feel" you mentioned is fascinating. Spilliaert was working in a period where anxieties about visibility and the unseen were prevalent, especially concerning gender. These barely-there roses could be interpreted as a commentary on the societal expectations placed on women, who are often encouraged to be ornamental, delicate, yet ultimately transient. What does the ephemeral nature of the medium, pencil on paper, suggest to you? Editor: I see what you mean. The delicacy is striking! Maybe the quick pencil strokes evoke a sense of fleeting beauty, like capturing a moment before it fades away. It feels like there is a sense of capturing the internal experience. Curator: Exactly. Roses have historically been laden with symbolic meaning, particularly in Western art, and linked to female beauty and fragility. However, Spilliaert subverts traditional symbolism by presenting these flowers as mere sketches, incomplete and perhaps even questioning the traditional narratives that bind women to these roles. Notice also how the light washes out any detail in the composition; do you think it further amplifies its political and historical weight? Editor: I hadn’t considered it that way before. It’s as though Spilliaert is using the image to raise questions about these established ideals rather than reinforce them. Thanks for pointing that out. Curator: Of course! I am taking away something new as well, seeing a potential metaphor of resistance to strict categories by exploring the concept through simple means, pencil sketches.