Waterval Possibly 1858 - 1859

Curator: Here we have Johannes Tavenraat's "Waterval," possibly from 1858 or 1859. It's currently held in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Oh, it feels so tentative, like a whisper of a waterfall caught on paper. A lovely, almost ghostly sketch. Curator: Indeed. Executed in pencil on paper, it exists as part of a larger sketchbook. Its light pencil work and the toned paper reveal a dedication to capturing the essence of the landscape through material exploration. Editor: It's a landscape flirting with abstraction. You almost have to squint and let your mind fill in the roar of the water and the dampness in the air. I wonder what he was thinking, the artist? Was he cold? Curator: As a sketch it gives us access to Tavenraat's process. Consider how this might serve as "idea generation sketch," offering us a peek into how an artist, positioned between Romanticism and the rise of industrialisation, engaged with landscape. Think about the paper itself: the economic structures that placed that paper, that pencil in his hand, giving us insight to not only the sketch itself but also to material conditions, to labor, to consumption. Editor: So much more appealing than polished pomposity. It feels like stumbling upon a private thought. Even though the subject matter, a waterfall, aligns with the sublime and Romanticism, this raw vulnerability has a much deeper charm for me. I mean, look! An axe is drawn here at the very edge; there are very human themes happening, not just water and nature. Curator: And if you compare this artwork with others within Tavenraat's sketchbook art, recurring patterns will materialize in his method; this informs us, potentially, about patterns of land ownership, labor and its connection with the Romantic's notion of the "Sublime." Editor: True enough. For me, it’s a very relatable rawness, a charming little glimpse into a bigger concept. Curator: Well said. Its seeming simplicity holds layers that reflect much larger realities about the artist’s society. Editor: A fleeting moment preserved—ghostly sketch, powerful meaning.