Man met een vertrokken gezicht 1854 - 1907

Eberhard Cornelis Rahms created this small drawing, 'Man met een vertrokken gezicht', using pen and brush in grey ink. Notice how Rahms captures a fleeting expression, focusing on the asymmetry of the face. One eye squints closed, while the mouth twists into a wry grimace. This distortion destabilizes the conventional portrait, shifting away from idealized beauty towards a more immediate, almost confrontational realism. The use of grey ink contributes to the somber mood, with broad strokes defining the form and creating a sense of depth. This is achieved through the subtle modulation of tone rather than precise lines. The cap and clothing fade into the background, directing our attention to the expressive features. Rahms work challenges fixed notions of portraiture, engaging with new ways of representing human emotion through abstraction and the deconstruction of traditional forms. This subversion invites ongoing interpretation, questioning the very nature of representation and the human condition.