Jonge vrouw (Chariclea?) 1600 - 1649

Editor: Here we have "Jonge vrouw (Chariclea?)" or "Young Woman (Chariclea?)" a pencil drawing on paper, dating back to somewhere between 1600 and 1649, created by Simon Vouet. It feels almost like a fleeting glimpse, an ephemeral sketch capturing a moment. The drapery is so detailed in contrast to the fainter details above it. What springs to mind when you look at this piece? Curator: Oh, it whispers secrets of the studio, doesn't it? Imagine Vouet, mid-thought, sketching, pausing, reconsidering the fall of light, and the play of shadow. You feel the very movement of his hand. But then the title gives us a little breadcrumb, doesn't it? Chariclea. Editor: Ah, yes! Is that from the ancient Greek romance? Curator: Indeed. Could this be a study for a larger painting based on that very tale? It's like seeing a master’s first draft, full of revisions. And that slightly ghostly quality might be Vouet searching for the character, for the essence of Chariclea herself, a process in becoming if you will. You see the Baroque fascination with capturing not just likeness but the soul, *in medias res.* What about you, what does it suggest about the art making process of the time? Editor: The searching nature is captivating. The artist's presence feels palpable in a way that a more polished finished artwork often doesn't. Seeing it this way, the incompleteness becomes part of its story. I’ll never look at Baroque art the same way again! Curator: Wonderful! Isn’t it extraordinary how a simple sketch can offer such profound insights? It shows us not only the destination but the intriguing journey an artist takes.