Simeon in de tempel 1720 - 1792

Aert Schouman’s drawing, Simeon in the Temple, was made using pen and brown ink, with brush and gray wash. While these are traditional art materials, Schouman’s virtuosity is remarkable. The material itself, brown ink on paper, guides the viewer's eye through a narrative rich in detail. The artist coaxes a full range of tones out of the wash, creating an airy interior, but also investing the figures with volumetric presence. Look at the way he uses fine hatching to build up the shadows, especially in the folds of fabric. Schouman was celebrated in his day for his glass painting, a craft that required exacting precision. He also ran a successful studio, teaching drawing to aspiring artists. Both of these contexts—the artisanal workshop, and the realm of luxury goods—are central to understanding Schouman's approach to image-making. His drawing is not simply a study for a painting, but a highly accomplished work of art, in which skill and labor take center stage. In Schouman’s work, we see how the craft of drawing itself can rise to the level of fine art.