Mannenkop met gesloten ogen 1759

Editor: Okay, next up we have "Man's Head with Closed Eyes," created by Christian Bernhard Rode around 1759. It's a drawing, looks like pencil or charcoal on some kind of laid paper, and it’s over at the Rijksmuseum. Initially, the drawing has this somber, introspective feel... what stands out to you? Curator: Isn’t it evocative? Rode really captures a sense of inner turmoil, perhaps even suffering. The closed eyes invite us to consider what that figure might be experiencing internally. To me it feels almost theatrical, operatic! He’s like a tragic hero contemplating some enormous dilemma. The piece uses light so skillfully. Notice how it defines the brow and beard? It makes you wonder, what kind of stories did Rode want this face to tell? Editor: The light and shadow play is quite compelling, now that you point it out! I hadn't considered a theatrical angle. Do you think Rode was perhaps studying expressions, maybe for a larger composition? Curator: Precisely! It wouldn't surprise me. Artists in that period – the Baroque period – were fascinated by portraying intense emotion and the passions of man. Think of dramatic biblical scenes, of heroes facing insurmountable odds, and you find them imbued with similar facial expressions. Rode, I think, uses this head as a study, an exploration of the very depths of human experience. What I love about it, also, is that it invites our imagination to wander. To create our own story! Editor: So it’s almost an invitation to be a co-creator, projecting our own feelings. That’s so interesting! I came in seeing it as somber and closed off, but now it feels more expansive, more of an invitation. Curator: Absolutely! Isn't it wonderful how a simple shift in perspective can transform the artwork entirely? Art, at its best, isn't just a statement, it's a conversation.