Kop met gevouwen handen en een bol met daarin gezichten - Riek Wesseling

A striking lithograph by Riek Wesseling featuring a contemplative figure and a mysterious sphere containing multiple faces.

This lithograph by Dutch artist Riek Wesseling presents a composition defined by psychological tension and precise technical execution. The image features a large, partially obscured human face, with a hand positioned across the lower portion of the visage. This gesture suggests silence or contemplation. A luminous, spherical object floats near the figure, containing multiple smaller, overlapping profiles of faces. These internal figures appear to gaze outward, creating a sense of internal reflection or fragmented identity.

Wesseling employs a monochromatic palette, utilising deep shadows and soft transitions to model the forms. The contrast between the dark background and the illuminated sphere draws the eye toward the central anomaly. The artist demonstrates a high degree of control over the lithographic medium, achieving smooth gradients that give the sphere a glass-like quality. The anatomical rendering of the hand and the primary face is grounded in realism, which contrasts with the dream-like inclusion of the floating sphere.

This work reflects the mid-twentieth-century interest in the subconscious and the symbolic representation of the self. By placing multiple faces within a single orb, Wesseling explores themes of introspection and the multiplicity of human personality. The composition avoids unnecessary ornamentation, focusing instead on the relationship between the physical gesture of the hand and the ethereal nature of the sphere. The work remains a curious example of Dutch graphic art from the period, demonstrating a clear departure from traditional portraiture in favour of a more conceptual approach to the human form. The print is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, reflecting its status as a notable example of the artist's graphic output.