Wain in the dunes 

Editor: This is "Wain in the Dunes," a pencil and graphite drawing by Max Liebermann. I’m struck by the rough texture, almost like the materials themselves are mimicking the sandy dunes. What stands out to you about Liebermann’s process in creating this image? Curator: Well, considering the stark contrasts and the emphasis on visible marks, the means of production itself becomes a central element. Liebermann seems less interested in concealing the labor involved and more focused on revealing the physical act of drawing, layering graphite to construct form. The humble materials – graphite, paper – foreground a democratic sensibility, countering academic art's more elaborate mediums. Editor: So, you're saying the choice of materials emphasizes accessibility and a kind of everyday labor? Curator: Exactly. Look at the subject matter: a simple wain moving through a landscape. There's nothing inherently grand or idealized here. Instead, the drawing emphasizes the lived experience of those who toiled on the land. It invites a consideration of who owns this land, and who profits from its use. What about the marks, do you consider that perhaps there is the reference about consumption itself ? Editor: That's interesting. The density of the marks around the wain does suggest wear and tear, a sense of continuous usage and, therefore, consumption. Perhaps it’s even commenting on the environmental impact, how the land is shaped and changed by human activity? Curator: Precisely! The image raises questions about our relationship with the material world, about production, consumption, and the labour embedded within it. This links it directly to broader societal concerns of its time, particularly ideas about industrialisation and it impact in nature. Editor: I see, focusing on the process and materials really opens up a whole new way of understanding the drawing’s message beyond just the image itself. Thanks for illuminating this context for me! Curator: Indeed, thinking about art through a materialist lens encourages us to consider how art is inextricably linked to broader systems of labor, value, and power.