Portret van Etha Fles 1886

Jan Veth rendered this portrait of Etha Fles in graphite on paper. Veth was a Dutch artist, author, poet and art critic, who played a significant role in the Dutch revival of portraiture. Considered a ‘New Woman’ of her time, Fles was the first female director of a Dutch museum. In 1903 she was appointed director of the Museum Kröller-Müller. Her Jewish identity surely played a role in the complexity of navigating a male-dominated field. This drawing might be read as a character study, capturing Fles’s strength and determination. It subtly challenges conventional representations of women. It's interesting to note that Veth does not overly feminize her features, presenting her instead with an androgynous quality that speaks to her intellectual pursuits. The portrait suggests a certain emotional distance, inviting us to ponder the inner life of a woman who dared to break barriers in the art world.