Zelfportret

In 1935, Dick Ket submitted a self-portrait as a last-minute entry for the Arti et Amicitiae artists’ society’s autumn exhibition. His outstanding work earned him a gold medal from Queen Wilhelmina. The artist based his picture on a Carolingian portrait of Saint Luke, the patron saint of painters and also the symbol of Arti et Amicitiae. The beret Ket is wearing is a subtle allusion to a saint’s halo. He is holding a Conté crayon in his raised hand, ready to start drawing on the canvas depicted in the portrait, while his other hand points at a wavy line on the paper in front of him. This is a message for the viewer. Ket saw the sinusoid as a reflection of human life, with its ups and downs. The prominent depiction of the hand also reveals a sad fact; his ‘drumstick fingers’ are a symptom of the congenital heart defect that resulted in his death at an early age.