Charley Toorop met hoofddoek in een leunstoel 1898

Jan Toorop made this pencil drawing, 'Charley Toorop with headscarf in an armchair', in 1892. The drawing depicts his daughter, Annie Caroline Pontifex Toorop, nicknamed Charley. Produced in the Netherlands, the work is situated within the cultural currents of the late 19th century. The delicate lines and introspective mood echo Symbolist aesthetics, which favoured emotional expression over realistic representation. We can understand the drawing as a study of familial relations and artistic heritage. Jan Toorop, a well-known artist, was not only depicting his daughter, but also shaping her identity within a cultural and artistic lineage. Charley Toorop herself would become a significant figure in Dutch modernism. To fully appreciate this drawing, we can research the Toorop family's artistic contributions and the Symbolist movement's influence on Dutch art. This drawing reminds us that artworks are products of specific social and institutional circumstances.