Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1865 - 1936

This is Nicolaas van der Waay's "Portret van een onbekende vrouw," an etching with dimensions of 219 by 149 mm. A delicate dance of light and shadow unfolds across the surface, crafted through precise and expressive lines. The profile of the unknown woman emerges, softened yet defined, evoking a quiet introspection. Notice how the artist masterfully uses hatching and cross-hatching to sculpt the form, particularly around her hair and the contours of her face. The seemingly unfinished background and the secondary, smaller sketch at the bottom add layers of complexity, almost like echoes or alternative takes. Van der Waay's print unsettles conventional portraiture. Rather than a fully realized, polished image, we are presented with a study in progress, a meditation on form and process. It invites us to consider the semiotic interplay between what is revealed and what remains unsaid, challenging our expectations and prompting a deeper engagement with the work.