Portret van Johan Drabbe 1903

Jan Toorop made this tiny drawing, ‘Portret van Johan Drabbe,’ sometime around 1905, using pencil on paper. The paper has aged to a warm tan color, and the pencil lines, they’re so light, like whispers on the surface. It’s all about the mark-making, really, with Toorop feeling his way around the form. You can see how he builds up the tones with these delicate strokes, especially around the eyes and the hair, giving Drabbe a real sense of depth and presence. I love how the lines aren't too precious, they're kind of searching, like he’s thinking out loud with his pencil. It reminds me a bit of some of Whistler’s portraits, where it’s not about capturing every detail, but more about capturing a mood, an essence. It’s like Toorop is saying, ‘Here’s a person, but also here’s the act of trying to see them, to understand them, through drawing.’ Art, right? It’s always a conversation.