Carel de Nerée tot Babberich - Female Figure

Carel de Nerée tot Babberich (1880–1909)

Female Figure

Circa 1903

Pencil on paper, black frame in Indian ink

35 × 21.5 cm

Provenance:

Artist; De Nerée family estate; possibly Mak, Amsterdam, studio sale, 1932–33; W.A.M. van der Ven, Velp; Van der Ven–De Nerée tot Babberich family; Jop Ubbens; private collection, The Hague.

Literature:

Illustrated in Sander Bink, Verfijnde Lijnen: Carel de Nerée tot Babberich, 1880–1909, WBOOKS, 2025, no. 96.

Exhibited:

Vereniging Beeldende Kunst, Arnhem, 1951.

Additional information:

Carel de Nerée tot Babberich (1880–1909) was one of the most intriguing Dutch Symbolists of his generation. Well versed in literature and active within The Hague’s society, he developed a highly refined visual language influenced strongly by Aubrey Beardsley. His work is characterised by graphic elegance, a Gothic atmosphere and subtle decadence.

Although De Nerée did not exhibit his drawings during his lifetime, they reveal a distinctive and veiled queer sensibility that he could not express openly as a diplomat. His work is marked by refinement, mystery and psychological depth. These qualities remained largely misunderstood for many years. Today, they are recognised as hallmarks of an exceptional talent whose life and career were cut tragically short.