Portret van Pierre Antoine Louis Havet 1885 - 1937

Curator: This drawing, simply titled "Portret van Pierre Antoine Louis Havet," was made sometime between 1885 and 1937 by Pierre-Eugène Vibert, using pencil. The subject gazes directly outward, framed by a crisp border. What's your first reaction? Editor: I'm struck by the starkness of the image. The crisp, precise lines of the pencil create a formal, almost clinical portrait. The meticulous rendering of his features gives a sense of the artist's intent to capture likeness and perhaps a touch of character, within very restrained means. Curator: Absolutely. And let's consider the sitter, likely a man of considerable status within his community, considering the societal context of portraiture at the time. These types of images served a function beyond mere representation. They signified power and memorialization. The rigid format almost performs an act of canonization, don't you think? Editor: Yes, but consider the use of pencil. A deliberate choice. Not the grandeur of oil paint or even charcoal. This, combined with the simple framing device, creates an intimacy, almost as if we are privy to a preliminary sketch, or a study, that breaks from the totalizing effect of the traditional painted portrait. Note also the delicate rendering of the face, where we can see Vibert's mastery of form. Curator: That's insightful. I agree, the use of pencil gives it a raw immediacy. It pulls back the curtain, maybe inadvertently revealing the humanity of the sitter despite the rigidity expected in such portraiture, humanizing the sitter by not over glorifying him. There's a sense of vulnerability, too. He appears, at first glance, rather formal, but that's just performance. Editor: Precisely, it is this interplay between formal representation and nuanced character rendering that is intriguing. The very careful rendering gives a lively almost ephemeral effect, yet so precisely grounded within its graphic frame. A wonderful economy of line and tone. Curator: I think you’re right, it's a fascinating push and pull between status and intimacy. The materiality is perhaps the message here. Thanks, this reading really gave me a lot to think about. Editor: Likewise. This simple drawing contains worlds.