Nick Bottom (_) im Gespräch mit einer männlichen Figur, das unter ihnen befindliche Ornament gebildet aus dem Schwanz eines Löwen 24 - 1867

Paul Konewka created this graphite sketch, "Nick Bottom (_) im Gespräch mit einer männlichen Figur, das unter ihnen befindliche Ornament gebildet aus dem Schwanz eines Löwen," in 1840. The most striking thing about this work is the energetic, exploratory quality of the drawing itself. Konewka is clearly working out the arrangement of figures and forms – their size, their relationship to one another. The graphite lines are allowed to stand as provisional, not polished or refined for presentation. In other words, this drawing seems less concerned with the finesse of the final image, and more interested in the raw labor of image-making. We see the artist thinking through the composition, literally with his hand. This makes the piece feel immediate and intimate. This underscores that every artwork emerges through a process, often laborious. The artist's choices regarding materials and making are critical in determining an artwork's ultimate meaning. They challenge our conventional distinctions between art and craft, design and labor.