Schaatsende jongen die een slee voor zich uit schuift 1788 - 1835

François Joseph Pfeiffer II made this drawing of a skating boy pulling a sled in the late 18th or early 19th century, using a reddish-brown chalk on paper. Chalk, in its various forms, has long been a favorite of artists for its immediacy and relative ease of use. Here, Pfeiffer uses the material to great effect, capturing the fleeting movement of the young skater with a few deft strokes. Notice the way the chalk is applied in varying degrees of pressure to create a sense of depth and volume. Lightly sketched lines imply movement. The choice of chalk also speaks to the artistic tradition in which Pfeiffer was working. Drawing was seen as a fundamental skill for any artist, and chalk was a common medium for sketching and studying the human form. In a sense, Pfeiffer, through his choice of materials, places himself within a lineage of artists who valued careful observation and skillful execution. It’s a humble material, but capable of great subtlety in the right hands.