Zittende kwaker, profiel naar rechts, met een hand op de dij 1706 - 1750

Curator: Here we have "Zittende kwaker, profiel naar rechts, met een hand op de dij"—or, "Seated Quaker, Profile to the Right, with a Hand on His Thigh"—a drawing crafted with pencil from Cornelis Troost, circa 1706 to 1750. It’s held here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Ah, there’s something so vulnerable about sketches, isn't there? They capture the fleeting, almost like the sitter exhaled a secret onto the page. I find myself feeling this melancholy air surrounding this…plainly dressed fellow, or perhaps just curious. Curator: Well, I can definitely see where you’re getting that sensation. It certainly isn’t one of the artist’s meticulously finished paintings. His line is so spare, so precise. But that gives it a feeling of authenticity to the person he’s trying to capture in that specific moment. Notice how he plays with light and shadow. A hat gives him away; it must be someone significant or known. He uses shadow to reveal the personality—as well as the genre painting aspect of his usual pieces, of course. Editor: Yes! The shadows, especially around the eyes, really suggest that introspective nature. He’s not looking at us; he's lost in thought. That, combined with the fact that we only have the barest rendering—just the skeletal form, essentially—gives this piece its evocative power. It almost doesn't matter what class or origin he hails from, as all we feel is humanity in that very quiet scene. Curator: True, the artist truly invites us into a space of quiet contemplation, doesn't he? These small slices of Baroque genre art and the artist's portraits give us a peek into his world—the materiality and intentionality of how the elements combine speaks clearly to period artistry through the hand. Editor: Definitely. Seeing art this way invites us to pause and truly see—to go beyond what's directly on display to perceive stories quietly woven within the work. Thank you. Curator: Absolutely, such a fascinating piece, it’s the moments like these, really looking closely that deepen our engagement.