Studie van het hoofd van een jong meisje, en profil 1884

Ernst Witkamp made this sensitive study of a young girl’s head in 1884, using watercolor on paper. This isn’t oil paint on canvas, the traditional stuff of fine art, but a more modest medium. Watercolor lends itself to capturing fleeting impressions. Look at the way Witkamp built up translucent layers to model the girl’s face, especially the delicate flush of her cheek. Notice how the white of the paper shines through, giving the image luminosity. The soft textures suggest that Witkamp worked quickly, but also with great control. You can see the same combination of deftness and detail in the rendering of her cap and shawl. Witkamp has chosen a traditional subject: the portrait. And yet his choice of material – humble watercolor – subtly democratizes the image. It is not a grand, commissioned likeness, but an intimate study. By embracing the immediacy and portability of watercolor, Witkamp brings the genre of portraiture down to earth. He reminds us that beauty can be found in everyday life and in the simplest of materials.