Vrouw met hoed, in profiel 1875 - 1934

Editor: Here we have "Vrouw met hoed, in profiel" – or "Woman with a hat, in profile" – by Isaac Israels, likely made between 1875 and 1934. It’s a pencil drawing, very minimal… Almost like a fleeting thought captured on paper. What stands out to you in this seemingly simple piece? Curator: Well, first off, let's think about the pencil itself. Graphite, mined, processed, formed. Who handled it before Israels? What was the journey of this implement, this *tool* for capturing an image? That alone places it within a system of labor and resource extraction. Editor: That’s an interesting angle. I hadn't considered the pencil's history. Curator: Exactly. Now, look at the paper. Notice the manufacturer's stamp in the corner? W.M. Stam. That locates the paper, its production, and its market in a specific place and time. This paper was a commodity. Consider its cost, its availability. Was it mass produced, or a luxury item? How did that affect who could create art? Editor: So, even a simple sketch on paper is embedded in a web of production and consumption? Curator: Precisely! The drawing is an end result, but the real story for me lies in deconstructing the means of its creation. Who benefitted from it? Who toiled? The simplicity is deceptive; the material reality complex. What assumptions do we bring when we automatically separate "drawing" from "production" of other less aesthetic products? Editor: It changes my perception of the piece, to see beyond the artistic expression to the entire industrial and social context that enabled its creation. Thank you. Curator: Indeed. Recognizing the network of labor and production inherent in every artwork challenges the romantic view of the solitary artist.