Zes arbeiders aan het werk in de hoogovens 1871 - 1906

Curator: Pieter de Josselin de Jong created this arresting sketch titled "Zes arbeiders aan het werk in de hoogovens," or "Six Workers at the Blast Furnaces," sometime between 1871 and 1906. It’s currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Wow. It hits you immediately, doesn’t it? That sense of industrial grit and sheer physical effort just pours off the toned paper. The lighting, those smoky greys...it feels almost biblical, like a charcoal apocalypse. Curator: Indeed. Notice how de Josselin de Jong uses a light pencil work. This wasn’t some grand commission but likely part of a sketchbook, an ongoing inquiry into the means of industrial production and its human cost. The rapid, sketchy lines suggest he was capturing a fleeting scene. Editor: Fleeting but eternal, almost. It reminds me of some early photographs capturing these scenes but without the romanticism. There’s such intimacy to sketchbook art. You see the artist thinking. I bet it smelled of iron and sweat and desperation. Can’t you just feel it? Curator: The medium certainly matters. He could have made it beautiful, using paints or dramatic lighting, but the pencil on toned paper emphasizes the grit. Consider the broader social context. Rapid industrial expansion, urbanization. Labor unrest. He gives form to a segment of Dutch society at the end of the 19th century. Editor: You are so right, its about capturing work that sustains our modern living while at the expense of so many and in dangerous circumstances. The unfinished areas...the almost ghostlike figure in the back? That feels deliberate. This is not some celebration of industry; it's an examination, with the stark pencil the perfect tool to ask us about our dependence. Curator: Exactly. This simple sketchbook drawing isn't just about art; it speaks volumes about our connection to production, resources, and the human body in late 19th century society. Editor: Well, I am thankful this work survived and has so much to tell. It still hums in me. So many thoughts provoked by so few simple lines.