Ontwerp voor illustratie voor De Kolossus der Negentiende Eeuw door P.J. Andriessen (Textill., blz. 32); scène uit het leven van Napoleon 1877 - 1942

This pencil illustration by George Lodewijk de Wetstein Pfister, shows a scene from the life of Napoleon. It was a design for ‘The Colossus of the Nineteenth Century’. Pfister’s mark-making is so delicate. He uses these thin, scratchy lines to build up tone and form. Look how he renders the tree in the background; it's almost like a spiderweb. The way he varies the pressure of the pencil creates depth and texture, especially in the figure's uniform. It is all dry and dusty, like a memory. That central figure is so interesting. See how his head droops, his shoulders slump. And then there’s this whole scene lurking behind him, like a stage set. Pfister doesn’t try to give us all the answers. He leaves space for us to project our own feelings and interpretations. I am reminded of the political cartoons of Honoré Daumier. Both artists knew how to convey a mood with the sparest of means.