Zittende oude man met opgeheven linkerhand after 1596

Jan van den Bergh created this drawing of a seated old man with raised left hand using pen in brown ink. The composition immediately strikes you with its dynamic tension. The figure, rendered in warm reddish-brown hues, is caught mid-gesture, his hand raised as if in speech or supplication. The artist's use of line is particularly noteworthy, the hatching and cross-hatching to delineate form and shadow. This technique creates a sense of depth and volume, bringing the figure to life on the page. The very structure of the drawing challenges fixed meanings, engaging with new ways of thinking about representation. Notice how the artist uses diagonals to convey a sense of movement and drama. The lines of the figure's body, from his turbaned head to his outstretched hand, create a dynamic flow that draws the eye across the image. It reminds us that art is not just about what is represented but how it's represented, and the meanings that arise from that dynamic interplay.