Schets van ganzen onder bomen 1854 - 1910

Curator: I’m immediately drawn to the sparseness of this image. It evokes such quietude and calm through its minimalist forms. Editor: Indeed. We are looking at a graphite drawing by Willem Maris, titled “Schets van ganzen onder bomen”, which translates to “Sketch of Geese under Trees.” It was likely created sometime between 1854 and 1910. The paper support and the lines themselves both look extremely delicate. Curator: The almost ghostly quality of the geese, lightly suggested with minimal strokes, reinforces the feeling of transience. The upright marks of the trees function almost like vertical lines to contain a chaotic scene; it brings an interesting harmony through contrasting marks. Editor: I find myself wondering about the material choices. Graphite lends itself to preparatory sketches. What sort of paper did he employ? Was it mass produced or handmade, perhaps affecting the perceived preciousness we see today? It also prompts considering the labour involved, the process of gathering the graphite, grinding it… Curator: Certainly the stark contrast created with a minimal of tonality makes for compelling dynamics. You’re pointing us towards a wider history in his decision of tools, I can definitely consider how they were useful at the time, from an industrial point of view, but what do we see in the deliberate economy? Editor: This connects to the role of Maris's training within a wider culture of material production in the Netherlands at that time. Was he making a statement, intentionally making rough geese drawings despite having mastered academic approaches in a professional context? I mean what are these fowl even "saying?" Curator: Or it speaks to an engagement with the fleeting qualities of light and shadow; not a need to render something so accurately in ways that create the artifice of the picture but perhaps an exercise or just being able to show skill, regardless. What an open yet carefully calibrated landscape we are presented with! Editor: An openness shaped by material constraints and social realities. Perhaps the next researcher should focus on those material underpinnings further! Thank you. Curator: Thank you.