Schets voor een portret van een jonge vrouw 1910

Thérèse Schwartze made this sketch for a portrait of a young woman with graphite on paper, but when? We don't know! The tonal range is so subtle, like whispers of light and shadow. Look at the density of marks around the figure's right side, how Schwartze builds up tone by layering strokes, almost like she's searching for the form. You can imagine her hand moving across the paper, responsive to the emerging image. The face is mostly absent, though, and this adds a layer of mystery. It's like the essence of the woman is present, but her individual identity is held back. This kind of openness reminds me of some of the portrait sketches by John Singer Sargent, where the subject's personality seems to hover just beneath the surface. Ultimately, this drawing feels like an invitation, a space for our own projections and imaginings.