Figuur in de branding c. 1920

Editor: Here we have Johan Antonie de Jonge’s “Figuur in de branding,” made around 1920. It’s a pencil and pen drawing, a seemingly simple landscape. I’m struck by how raw it feels; the visible marks of the process are really upfront. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The immediacy you sense is key. As a materialist, I focus on how the work's very construction informs its meaning. De Jonge uses these accessible, readily available materials – pencil and paper – to depict a scene of, perhaps, labor or leisure at the shore. Editor: So, the everyday nature of the materials speaks to the accessibility of the subject matter? Curator: Precisely. The marks, the smudges, even the visible support, bring us closer to the act of creation. Consider the mass production of pencils at this time. How does the industrialization of art supplies influence artistic practice? Was this a sketch done on location, or from memory back in the studio? These questions push us to consider the artist's labor. How long did it take, and was this created for sale, study, or for simple artistic satisfaction? Editor: That's a good point. I hadn't thought about the socio-economic context of pencil production. Curator: Furthermore, the blurring of lines—sky meeting sea—destabilizes traditional landscape painting's hierarchies. By minimizing details, de Jonge directs our attention to the fundamental elements: the paper, the graphite, and the actions that brought them together. The visible traces of production offer a window into the artist’s world, blurring the lines between high art and the process of “making.” Editor: I’m seeing this in a completely new light. Thinking about the materiality and labor involved makes the image feel much more grounded and connected to its time. Thank you. Curator: And for me, thinking about your observations helps to further expand my understanding. It is this dialogue that provides added perspective and information about this wonderful drawing.