Knitting. Two women at the table 1816

Orest Kiprensky made this drawing of two women at a table with ink on paper. Ink is a humble material, easily accessible. But notice how Kiprensky coaxes a full range of tonalities from it, describing light and shadow. Knitting is also an everyday process, a means of production, however domestic. It embodies both necessity and care; it is an act of making useful things with one’s hands. The artist highlights the concentration required, the knitter’s gaze fully fixed on the emerging fabric. Consider the relationship between the drawing and the activity it depicts: one is a skilled labor of representation, and the other of pure making. Both are traditionally gendered practices; Kiprensky elevates both into the realm of art. Ultimately, this image prompts us to reflect on the value we place on different kinds of work, and how art can help us to see the dignity in all forms of making.