Portret van Jacqueline E. van der Waals 1900 - 1940

Curator: This is a portrait drawing by Johannes Maria Petrus Antonius Huijsen, depicting Jacqueline E. van der Waals. Its date is estimated sometime between 1900 and 1940. The piece is done in pencil. Editor: It’s striking, isn't it? There’s a delicate softness to it. Almost ethereal. The light pencil work gives the subject a dignified but somewhat melancholic air, as though we’re peering into a fading past. Curator: Absolutely. I think that feeling is evoked by the almost photographic realism. Though rendered in pencil, the light and shadow capture so much detail—the brooch at her throat, the set of her jaw. These subtle signs really build her identity as an early 20th-century woman. Editor: I wonder about the historical and social context of this piece, too. Was it commissioned? A study? The subtle upward gaze carries a weight that I believe suggests there's more to her story than the drawing reveals at first glance. What possibilities or constraints existed for someone of her class and era? The academic-art style makes me also consider who was being documented. Curator: The fact it is a sketch really gets me wondering about symbolism. It does have the air of being captured at a moment of thoughtful looking beyond her circumstances. But it's so fascinating to view it simply as a historical artifact, revealing evolving notions of beauty, intellect, and societal roles of women from this period. Editor: Exactly. But looking at the drawing, at how her identity is meticulously built up through light and shadow, forces one to grapple with her circumstances and era as we view it through contemporary standards. It prompts you to explore not only the sitter, but the historical environment in which this kind of piece might be created. Curator: Well, thank you for pointing that out! Thinking about symbols of how people wanted to be seen and what that might reveal… Fascinating. Editor: Yes. All around an incredible work to experience, a historical dialogue embodied in shades of gray!