Hoofd van een vrouw Possibly 1895

Marc Marie Georges Mouclier drew this 'Head of a Woman' using graphite on paper. The grainy texture of the drawing and the visible strokes of the medium are essential to the character of this portrait. The artist appears to have used a range of pencil grades to create darker and lighter areas, giving depth and volume to the face. The cross-hatching technique, particularly evident in the background, adds a sense of shadow and atmosphere. Mouclier’s choice of graphite on paper, instead of a more formal medium, is important: it brings the image closer to the realm of everyday experience. Graphite is a readily available material, closely associated with sketching and preliminary studies, and is relatively inexpensive. Mouclier’s embrace of such an accessible material implies a democratizing impulse. It invites us to consider how artmaking can be integrated into the fabric of ordinary life, rather than being confined to the elite sphere of oil paint and canvas. The material speaks to labor, to politics, and consumption, and the work involved in the production process.