Portret van een onbekende jongen 1887 - 1924

Curator: Julie de Graag created this compelling portrait sometime between 1887 and 1924. Made with pencil, it resides here at the Rijksmuseum as "Portret van een onbekende jongen" or "Portrait of an unknown boy". Editor: It's got this wonderfully haunted, nostalgic air. It feels almost like finding a faded photograph in a dusty attic, all hushed tones and forgotten stories. Curator: De Graag's work frequently navigates themes of identity and representation. Consider the historical context, particularly the social construction of childhood in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, during which time child portraiture was a way for affluent families to reinforce ideas of status and lineage. The fact that this boy is "unknown" to us complicates those historical narratives. Editor: It is really stripped back, though. There are hardly any flourishes; just these simple lines capturing the quiet, almost mournful cast of the young boy's face. What strikes me is the intensity, that side profile. You want to reach through the glass and just ask him, "What are you thinking about?". Curator: That directness invites us to question the systems of power at play. Who commissions these works, whose stories get told and preserved, and who remains unnamed and on the margins? Editor: Absolutely. The simplicity, it's almost like a dream. Perhaps the boy didn't belong to this elite order. The artist immortalized a fleeting moment of an everyday child and disrupted everything by enshrining that one anonymous young life. I really find it to be revolutionary! Curator: Yes! De Graag herself dealt with issues of societal expectations throughout her life. To depict a simple portrait seems to act in contrast to expectations during the height of portraiture's rise in popularity, which makes the act all the more subversive. Editor: Thinking about that tension gives this drawing even more complexity. So it is deceptively quiet and gentle, while making these powerful statements about childhood, privilege, and artistry. What a combination. Curator: Indeed. Looking at "Portrait of an Unknown Boy" in this context reveals so many hidden layers and invites critical inquiry. Editor: So it turns out that faded photo from the attic wasn't so simple after all, more like a powerful artifact about who we remember and why.