Hoofd van een oude man met baard en een hoge muts 1625 - 1674

Editor: Here we have Jan Lievens’ "Head of an Old Man with Beard and High Cap", dating from between 1625 and 1674. It's an ink drawing, and feels so immediate, almost like a fleeting thought captured on paper. What do you see in this piece, what strikes you? Curator: It strikes me as beautifully human, you know? Look at the lines – almost frantic in their energy, yet somehow, they coalesce into a believable face. The baroque style, combined with what seems like a spontaneous sketch, really speaks to the Dutch Golden Age, a time of both intense artistic skill and a fascination with everyday life, even its wrinkles and imperfections. Does the figure's weary expression evoke any emotions within you? Editor: Definitely a sense of melancholy, perhaps a quiet wisdom. The details in the beard are amazing given the economy of the line! But why the high cap? Does it signify anything specific? Curator: That’s the fun part, isn’t it? It could be a symbol of status, piety, or simply a stylistic choice. I like to think Lievens was less concerned with strict representation and more with capturing the essence of age, of time etched on a face. It feels intensely personal, like he really saw this person, quirks and all. What do you make of its sketch-like feel? Does it come across as informal and perhaps unfinished, in your eyes? Editor: I guess that's part of its appeal, its raw vulnerability. Knowing it was found here in the Rijksmuseum lends an incredible poignancy to the sketch, like this forgotten man has now found a sort of immortality in art. Curator: Exactly! It's a reminder that even the most ordinary face can hold a universe of stories, waiting to be discovered with a little ink, paper, and a lot of heart. Thanks so much! It seems Lievens and the Rijksmuseum will stay with me for some time... Editor: And for me, thinking about this piece in the context of the Dutch Golden Age and Lievens’ quick hand gives it a totally new resonance.