Schetsblad met koppen 1840 - 1880

This is "Sketch Sheet with Heads" by Johannes Tavenraat, created with pen in brown ink. The composition is a fascinating study in form and structure. We see a collection of heads, each rendered with varying degrees of detail and expression. The artist uses line—thick, thin, and broken—to define the contours and volumes of these faces. Note how Tavenraat plays with proportion and scale, distorting features to create caricatures that border on the grotesque. This distortion destabilizes our conventional understanding of portraiture. By exaggerating certain features, Tavenraat prompts us to consider how identity is constructed through representation. The inclusion of numerical notations alongside the sketches adds another layer, hinting at a possible economic or accounting context. Ultimately, this sketch sheet challenges fixed meanings, inviting us to explore the complex relationship between artistic expression, cultural codes, and the very nature of representation itself.