Composition Study; verso: Composition Study c. 1758

Editor: Here we have Fragonard's "Composition Study," a pen and brown ink sketch. It feels so fleeting and gestural. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Think about the very paper Fragonard used. Was it costly? Was it readily available? How does the speed of the sketch relate to the potential cost of materials and the time of the artist? Editor: That's a great point! I hadn't considered the economic factors influencing his process. So, the accessibility of the material could explain the rapid, almost frantic, linework? Curator: Precisely. The sketch, a preliminary exploration, reveals more than just the planned composition; it also unveils the material conditions of artistic production in 18th-century France. Editor: I guess I always thought about the finished product, not the materials that were used to create the work. Thank you. Curator: Considering the labor and materiality transforms how we value the final artwork.