Studieblad met schaatsenrijders 1770 - 1825

This sheet of studies with skaters was made with pen and ink by Simon Andreas Krausz in the late 18th to early 19th century. The artist has used simple materials, pen and ink on paper, to capture people skating. Look at the different positions and the varying pressures of the pen strokes, to create both a sense of movement and shadow. The pen line varies, from thin outlines that capture the skater’s forms, to areas of thicker ink, which give the figures weight. The rough texture of the paper also plays a role. The ink bleeds into the page, softening the lines and giving the drawing a sense of immediacy. It's as if Krausz quickly captured these figures in motion with whatever materials he had to hand. This study sheet shows the importance of both materials and process, where the artist used humble tools to capture the energy of a social scene.