Man met een paraplu onder zijn arm Possibly 1873

Editor: This is Cornelis Springer’s "Man met een paraplu onder zijn arm," potentially from 1873. It’s a drawing on paper, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. It feels like a quickly jotted down observation, like a snapshot. What strikes you about it? Curator: The immediate appeal lies in the evident process. Springer's choice of pencil and paper, humble materials, signals a deliberate focus on the act of observation and documentation. It wasn't intended, initially at least, as a 'high art' statement. Editor: So it’s more about the study than the finished artwork? Curator: Precisely! Consider the social context: urbanization was rapidly changing the Dutch landscape. Artists like Springer were increasingly drawn to documenting the everyday lives of city dwellers. This sketch embodies that—a moment captured in the burgeoning urban environment. Editor: How does the 'means of production' fit into this reading? Curator: The rapid, almost gestural application of pencil lines speaks volumes. There’s a sense of urgency and accessibility in the medium. He’s not working in oils with assistants; this is immediate, direct engagement with his subject. Also note the plainness of dress -- it speaks to its own social class of working urbanity in Amsterdam. Editor: That makes sense. The roughness adds authenticity, almost like a social study through art. Curator: It's challenging traditional artistic boundaries by valuing process and material accessibility. Rather than immortalizing a king or religious icon, he captured a moment of everyday life with minimal materials. He has immortalized what the consumption-driven city dweller was becoming. Editor: That’s a fresh way of looking at it; considering not just *what* is depicted but *how* and *why* using such materials. Curator: Exactly! Springer provides social commentary via artistic materialism.