Iris 1887 - 1924

Curator: What a striking image. This is "Iris," a drawing created sometime between 1887 and 1924 by Julie de Graag. The piece, rendered in ink and pencil on paper, is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection. Editor: The monochrome palette, bordering on sepia, gives it a sense of aged elegance. There's a very striking interplay of intense, almost frantic lines in the bloom against the stark openness in the rest of the work. It’s unbalanced and somewhat tense, wouldn’t you say? Curator: That tension, I think, speaks to the iris itself. It’s a flower that, across cultures, represents faith, hope, and wisdom, but also passion. The artist may be exploring these dualities through contrasting densities of lines. I find the way the linework varies quite striking. In one area, the ink appears applied very densely, in other portions, the ink is so sparse the artist opts instead for pencil. Editor: Absolutely, and the lines themselves aren't merely descriptive. They're active. See how they curve and swell to define the petals, conveying volume and movement? It’s almost like the flower is caught in a moment of blossoming. Note also the unfinished outline; its incompleteness adds to that kinetic feel. Curator: Precisely. The incomplete rendering encourages contemplation. Perhaps De Graag wanted to present not just the flower, but its essence—its becoming. Furthermore, in certain spiritual practices, irises represent the bridge between heaven and earth; perhaps the incompleteness symbolizes the unending journey toward understanding. The torn and stained substrate also reinforces the temporal aspects of the drawing, acting like a subtle memento mori. Editor: I'd agree with you. Looking at it as a study in texture and the expressive quality of the line itself, that gives me an understanding. I feel a great sense of immediacy and depth from it. It’s been a fascinating deep dive. Curator: Indeed, an exploration of both the symbolic depth of the iris and de Graag’s mastery of line and tone. It certainly invites continued contemplation.