Studie af en fod 1879 - 1910

Editor: This is "Studie af en fod," or "Study of a Foot," by Oluf Hartmann, made sometime between 1879 and 1910. It's a pencil drawing. The raw, unfinished quality is really striking. What's your take on it? Curator: I find it compelling to consider this drawing not just as a study, but as a record of labor. We see the artist's hand at work, the repetitive strokes of the pencil building form. What kind of paper is it? Is it a costly, fine paper, or something more readily available, a working material? Editor: I believe it is common paper, but I am unsure of the quality or process of fabrication. Curator: Exactly. That difference tells us about access, the means of artistic production available to Hartmann. This pencil sketch invites us to consider what types of materials were typically available for artists to produce figuration drawings, like portraits. Does the study focus your attention to this access, labor, and modes of figuration in this case? Editor: That's an interesting point. I was focused on the foot itself, but thinking about the materials and labor involved gives me a better appreciation for the choices the artist was making, and their impact on the final work. Curator: Indeed, by focusing on the materiality, we move beyond simple representation and engage with the social and economic factors shaping the artistic process itself. It makes us ask: what makes some drawings become museum art, while others were not retained, even though more energy and access was available? Editor: I guess I never really considered art materials as a statement. Curator: It is an important detail when determining who gets to make what kind of art and when. This work invites you to think, if not about beauty, about consumption and access to it. Editor: Thank you, this different focus on what matters allows for an alternate understanding of what art represents.