Maple Leaves, 1871 (from Sketchbook) 1870

Daniel Huntington made this sketch of Maple Leaves in 1871, likely *en plein air*, as the inscription says it was a drizzly day at Mohawk. It is a deceptively simple drawing, made with graphite on paper. The fleeting quality of the sketch captures the immediacy of the natural world, and a sense of a specific moment in time, like a snapshot. Huntington has used shading and cross-hatching to give the leaves a sense of volume and texture, while also conveying the way light filters through the foliage. The visible strokes of the pencil remind us of the artist's hand and the deliberate act of mark-making. The value lies in the way these humble materials are manipulated to evoke a mood. This drawing challenges our usual hierarchy of art versus craft, elevating the simple act of sketching to the level of fine art.