Portret van een onbekende vrouw c. 1884 - 1887

Willem Witsen made this drawing of an unknown woman with a piece of graphite on paper. The portrait is of a woman whose features have been blended into an almost unrecognizable form. Witsen was working in the Netherlands at the turn of the century, a period in which the rise of photography was changing portraiture. The rapid dissemination of photographic images democratized portraiture, and the elite were no longer the sole subjects of representation. One result of photography was a new emphasis on the aesthetic qualities of painted or drawn portraits. Rather than offering a clear likeness of a person, artists experimented with light, shadow, and brushwork to make portraits that were evocative and expressive. They could hint at the subject’s mood and character rather than creating a true likeness. What can we know about this woman without knowing who she is? The historian might research the kinds of women who sat for portraits at this time. Were they paid models, friends of the artist, or members of his social circle? This is the kind of social and institutional context that helps us understand the art.