Sprokkelhout 1848 - 1888

This is a charcoal drawing called 'Sprokkelhout' by Anton Mauve, who was active in the Hague School in the Netherlands in the later 19th century. Mauve and other Hague School artists were interested in rejecting the rigid formality of academic painting. They wanted to show the world as they knew it, through a muted palette and close attention to the lives of the rural working class. The scene here is a humble one. 'Sprokkelhout' refers to the practice of collecting fallen wood for fuel, a task often relegated to the poor. Mauve’s rapid sketch is typical of the impressionistic style, and we can see his commitment to realism in the attention he pays to the detail of this work. Understanding the social conditions in the Netherlands at the time, the rise of realist painting, and the academic institutions against which Mauve was reacting helps us to better appreciate the intent behind this sketch. We can research all of these topics through museum archives and other historical documentation. In this way, the meaning of art becomes contingent on its social and institutional context.