Boerin die aardappels schilt 1839 - 1872

Curator: Welcome. Today, we're examining Johannes Tavenraat's drawing, "Boerin die aardappels schilt", made with pencil sometime between 1839 and 1872. Editor: It's such a delicate sketch. My first thought is one of stark, almost crushing labor, despite the soft medium. The tilted perspective somehow intensifies that feeling. Curator: Indeed. The formal structure of the sketch uses a combination of gestural lines to define shape, along with hatching to give weight. The composition places the figure and implements slightly askew on the page creating an uneasy feeling. Editor: I see what you mean. It feels uncomfortably close to this anonymous, bent-over figure. Knowing it was created between 1839 and 1872 adds to my interpretation. I cannot help but to focus on the socio-economic realities of women performing domestic labor during this era. Tavenraat gives no clue regarding any potential personal feeling towards this boerin; he does not afford us clues as to her individual emotional condition, yet she exists in time through him. Curator: We observe in other genre scenes from the time a focus on specific narratives involving sentiment, something that we do not witness in this artwork. This sketch emphasizes form and representation over overtly narrative themes. This allows for some openness for interpretation by each individual that views it. Editor: It raises important questions about the portrayal of labor, particularly women's labor, within Dutch society, a labor she undoubtedly was never fairly paid for. And also about the value society gives to art portraying the lives of ordinary individuals. There is something about this intimate, raw glimpse into what was expected of the laboring boerin. Curator: Certainly, its documentary-like quality provides insights into societal realities. This study provides a specific lens on a time through the use of light pencil markings on textured paper. Editor: The piece, though spare in line and detail, invites questions regarding labor in its essence and is powerful because of this simple and pure engagement in representation.