Portret van Willem Nicolaas Dinger (?) 1874 - 1925

Curator: This is a portrait drawing of Willem Nicolaas Dinger (?), likely rendered sometime between 1874 and 1925, created by Jan Veth, held here at the Rijksmuseum. It’s a pencil drawing on paper. What’s your immediate impression? Editor: Oh, there's a certain gentleness in the lines. Almost a hesitancy. He looks like he might tell me a very long story with a quiet voice. Curator: Veth was working within a context of burgeoning realism, aiming to capture, I believe, something of Dinger’s inner character through close observation. The delicate strokes of the pencil seem to underscore that intimacy. Considering, too, the rise of photography during this period, this is more than simply recording an image. Editor: Right. It’s a negotiation of representation, I guess. He has such a calm, almost weary gaze, but the cap he's wearing feels somewhat assertive. Makes me wonder what the cap meant to him. Or maybe I am projecting? Curator: Well, let’s think about it: the clothing and hats that people wear have long had cultural and social significance tied to class, to profession, even resistance. The cap may speak to a specific social identity of the sitter, a detail Veth deliberately includes or subtly critiques. I wonder how it locates Dinger within the complex social fabric of the time. Editor: You are spot-on. It’s all a fabric. Perhaps he wore that cap everyday and Jan simply rendered it. Do you think it may hint at the subject's religion? Curator: It could. The nuances are fascinating. This drawing is not just about who Dinger was but also about the position he occupied, and about Veth’s interpretation and recording of it. Veth places his sitter, through both pose and material culture, into the conversations about identity during a period of rapid societal transformation. It adds layers of complexity and opens up critical questions about the portrayed man. Editor: I’m thinking I’d like to sketch him myself now. Maybe give him a parrot. A very large, brightly coloured parrot. Or maybe a tiny crown, winking a golden little glimmer. Curator: Your additions speak to the open nature of portraiture, I think. It's inherently collaborative— between sitter, artist, and ultimately, viewer. Thank you. Editor: Absolutely! Always happy to think aloud in front of beautiful art.