Portret van Alexander I, prins der Nederlanden 19th century

This is a portrait of Alexander I, Prince of the Netherlands, made with graphite on paper by an anonymous artist. The inherent qualities of graphite – its softness, its ability to create subtle gradations of tone – have been expertly exploited here. The artist coaxes a remarkable likeness from the medium. But the real story is less about the image itself, than about the complex infrastructure that made it possible. Consider the graphite itself, mined and processed, then formed into a drawing implement. The paper, too, manufactured in a mill. And of course, the sitter himself, whose status is entirely dependent on a complex political economy. All of these factors are crucial to the image’s existence. Understanding the image means thinking about these background conditions and the ways in which they inform our understanding of it, which helps us move beyond traditional notions of art history.