Studie c. 1901

Curator: Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof created this pencil sketch, "Studie," around 1901. It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Initially, it strikes me as something raw and dense. It looks like a concentrated mass of graphite, almost aggressively applied to the paper. The texture is quite intriguing. Curator: Knowing Dijsselhof, that intensity might stem from the social and artistic upheavals of the fin-de-siècle period. This sketch, though abstract, resonates with anxieties around industrialization and the changing role of the artist within that industrialized framework. The starkness of the medium lends itself to conveying such feelings. Editor: Right, and look at the materiality of the paper itself—lined notebook paper. This choice underscores the idea of process and experimentation, of a sketch not intended for grand display, but for exploration. We might ask ourselves how that relates to art labor, challenging assumptions about artistic value and skill. Curator: Absolutely. Considering his wider body of work and the historical context, one could interpret it as a statement of defiance against traditional modes of artistic production, a silent, powerful mark-making akin to protest, against restrictive systems of class and artistic production that have pervaded art and broader society. Editor: The way the graphite bleeds and spreads, it's as if the very material is rebelling against the confines of the lined paper. You know, maybe it's pushing beyond the expected parameters of what art should look like, questioning its commodification and how that plays into cultural structures? Curator: Precisely. It pushes us to reconsider the accepted narrative of art and artistic identity as part of our ever-evolving society. It allows for the viewer to consider a more democratized definition of beauty and art's ability to reflect lived experiences and emotions in raw ways. Editor: And thinking about his contemporaries at the time—how were they reacting and relating to Dijsselhof's challenge? I think viewers need to think of what went into its creation; considering labor, material, and social structures invites a new definition of value that goes way beyond mere monetary worth. It certainly deepens my appreciation of its significance. Curator: It provides, at the very least, another point of view of art making. Thank you!