Carel de Nerée tot Babberich - Figure in a Cloak

Carel de Nerée tot Babberich (1880–1909)

Figure in a Cloak / Standing Female Figure

c. 1901

Pencil on laid paper

35.8 × 24.5 cm

Provenance:

Possibly Mak van Waay, Amsterdam, 1965; Paul Citroen; possibly Godfrey Pilkington/Piccadilly Gallery; Joop Smid and Karel Citroen (?); private collection, London.

Literature:

Illustrated in Sander Bink, Verfijnde Lijnen: Carel de Nerée tot Babberich, 1880–1909, Wbooks (2025), no. 100.

Exhibitions:

Piccadilly Gallery, London, 1966; Munich, 1970; Singer Museum, Laren, 1974–75.

Additional information:

This drawing occupies a fascinating point at the crossroads between De Nerée’s earliest experiments and his mature Symbolist style. The mysterious cloaked figure retains something of the simplicity and directness of his early work, while at the same time revealing the decorative refinement that would become his hallmark only a few years later.

The dating to around 1901 corresponds well with the so-called Rijnbende drawings and the Ohanasan series, with which the work shares clear stylistic similarities. Particularly striking is the contrast between the rigid, almost geometric construction of the figure and the flowing Art Nouveau ornamentation of the background. The tension between these two elements gives the sheet a remarkably modern appearance and is characteristic of De Nerée’s transition toward his mature Symbolist style.

As is often the case with De Nerée, the identity of the figure remains unknown and appears to have been of secondary importance to the artist. Rather than depicting an individual portrait, he seems interested in evoking a mood or psychological state. The cloak thus becomes almost a symbol of mystery and detachment.

Carel de Nerée tot Babberich (1880–1909) ranks among the most intriguing Dutch Symbolists of his time. Well versed in literature, charismatic, and active within The Hague’s society circles, he developed a visual language strongly influenced by Aubrey Beardsley: graphically refined, Gothic in atmosphere, and imbued with a subtle sense of decadence.