Contouren van een gezicht

Erich Wichmann made this small drawing, 'Contouren van een gezicht', sometime around 1923, and you can see it was done very quickly in pencil. It's all about the process of searching for a likeness, the build-up of tone and shadow. The texture is so soft, almost like smoke, with these light and dark areas suggesting a face emerging from the shadows. The pencil marks are delicate, smudged in places, creating a sense of depth and volume with very little means. Look at how the artist uses shading to define the contours of the face, especially around the eyes and beard. It’s kind of haunting. Wichmann reminds me a bit of Odilon Redon, who was interested in dreams and the unconscious. Both artists create a sense of mystery in their work. Ultimately, art is about suggestion and interpretation. There is never a final answer, only a continuous conversation.