Studieblad met schelpenkar op het strand en diverse studies van paarden Possibly 1852 - 1858

Willem Anthonie van Deventer made this study sheet of a shell cart on the beach and various studies of horses using pencil, pen, and watercolor. The quick strokes of pencil and diluted washes of watercolor speak to the artist's interest in capturing the fleeting effects of light on the coastal landscape. The materiality of the paper itself is crucial; its absorbency allows for the subtle gradations of tone that define the forms. The artist has captured the scene with great attention to the weight of the wooden cart and the muscular forms of the horses. This wasn't intended as a finished work. It's a study. Think of it as notes towards a larger composition. In this sense, we can imagine the artist honing his craft and the careful labor that underpins a finished painting. The artist uses traditional mediums to explore the lives of working men and working animals; the laborers who depended on the sea for a living. By focusing on the materiality and the labor that went into it, we get a richer understanding of the artist's intent and the social context in which it was made.