Twee studies van een staande monnik, naar links 1869 - 1925

Editor: So, this is "Twee studies van een staande monnik, naar links" – Two studies of a standing monk, facing left – by Antoon Derkinderen, created sometime between 1869 and 1925, rendered in pencil. The monk's contemplative stance has a really serene quality to it, despite the sketch-like style. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: The beauty is precisely in that "sketch-like style," wouldn't you say? Derkinderen captures a fleeting moment, an idea still forming on the page. It reminds me of flipping through an artist’s personal sketchbook. We see the ghost of the artist's hand at work. The way the lines vary in weight and intensity…it feels almost like the artist is breathing onto the page. Does that resonate with you at all, this sense of intimacy? Editor: I get that. The looseness makes it feel really immediate. It’s less about a perfect representation and more about capturing the essence of the figure. Do you think that unfinished quality impacts how we interpret the subject matter—this figure of the monk? Curator: Absolutely. It takes it out of the realm of religious iconography, perhaps? We are not meant to be venerating a holy person, more appreciating the humanness of quiet reflection, perhaps even isolation. A single monk depicted more than once… he almost doesn't exist. And then you must ask yourself: why monks? Why these studies? Is it an exercise in form, a pondering on devotion, or a little of both? Editor: It’s fascinating to think about the artist's thought process while they were sketching. It feels like a privilege to glimpse that. Curator: Precisely! It’s like finding a portal into another creative mind. Seeing the world through their searching lines. Wonderful, isn’t it? Editor: Definitely gives me a lot to consider! Thanks for sharing your insights.