In 't Jaar 1787 c. 1789 - 1810

Curator: Let’s turn our attention to a drawing in the collection dated from around 1789 to 1810, titled "In 't Jaar 1787". It is currently attributed to Anonymous. The artist used pen, pencil, and ink on paper. What’s your first reaction to it? Editor: Hmm, turbulent. The plume of smoke is so dramatic, and yet the overall effect is surprisingly delicate, like a storm seen through lace. Curator: Right, there's a compelling tension between the depiction of warfare and the apparent lightness of the materials. This drawing likely refers to events surrounding the Patriot movement in the Netherlands in 1787. We see figures loading what seems to be a cannon in the foreground. Think about how the social upheaval finds expression through these lines. Editor: It does make you consider what “anonymous” means here. Was this artist a direct participant, or an observer distanced from the action, using readily available materials like paper and ink? Curator: Exactly! The artwork isn't just *of* a historical moment but *from* it, shaped by the political realities and accessibility to artistic creation. Someone documented the process as well as the effect of canon explosions on the domestic Dutch architecture surrounding the site. It speaks volumes. The line work isn’t masterful, it suggests urgency. Editor: And consider the domesticity of the scene. The smoke billows next to a charming, almost cartoonish, Dutch building. The act of revolution is literally happening in someone's backyard. It makes history feel so immediate, so messy. A householder would see a pile of rubble! I’d wonder how that impacted the artist personally, living through this! Curator: It makes you realize that historical events aren't just grand narratives but also lived, material experiences shaped by economic and political factors determining who could create and consume art. Even if it remained unfinished. Editor: So true. It is really humbling to consider the layers of context embedded in these materials. Even pencil and ink becomes loaded when you realize the circumstances in which they were laid to paper. Curator: Precisely. Looking closely, we can extrapolate information about that pivotal historical moment, through art which has the potential to act as both an emotional record as well as historical fact. Editor: I’ll not look at pencil the same way. Thanks for that perspective.