Jong meisje met gesloten ogen, en profil 1867 - 1890

Curator: The Rijksmuseum holds a tender work by Philip Zilcken, a pencil drawing created sometime between 1867 and 1890 entitled, “Young Girl with Eyes Closed, in Profile.” Editor: There's a hushed quality about it. It's as though you’re peering into someone’s most private moment, almost as if disturbing a dream. Curator: Indeed. The portrait embodies the quiet introspection often found in academic art of the period, don't you think? This interest in interiority emerging during times of great social upheaval... Editor: I think the composition—the floating studies above and below her main profile—adds an additional layer of intrigue. It makes her feel almost spectral, caught between worlds. What do you suppose the artist aimed to express by that choice? Curator: Perhaps to portray her thoughts? Or to capture her likeness from different viewpoints to study and reflect youth and beauty ideals? Zilcken often depicts quiet figures. I’m curious, though, about what it communicates to you as a young woman, looking at a drawing of a young woman from a century prior. Editor: I am thinking about what she cannot see… how female subjects were often denied agency throughout history. Here, her closed eyes make me wonder: is this peace, escape, or an enforced blindness? Her vulnerability also exposes larger ideas regarding the representation of young women. It’s never just a drawing of a girl, is it? Curator: Not at all. Art always reflects more than its surface, doesn't it? Each brushstroke or pencil line is heavy with the baggage of its era, even when appearing dreamlike, light, and serene. Editor: Ultimately, it’s a reminder of the stories that visual imagery carries, whether intentionally or inadvertently, with ongoing implications to unpack and discuss across eras. Thank you for highlighting this image today. Curator: Thank you, and thank you for prompting a closer look. Perhaps we both saw the world slightly differently by observing this artwork today.