Geluk 1867 - 1928

Editor: Hendrik Johannes Haverman’s pencil drawing, "Geluk," dating between 1867 and 1928, feels so tender. It's a simple portrait of a mother kissing her child, but the use of pencil gives it an intimate quality, as if capturing a private moment. What draws your eye when you look at it? Curator: What strikes me is the directness of the medium itself. Pencil, fundamentally graphite mined from the earth, allows for mass production, and widespread artistic creation. The materiality here complicates any reading of a sentimental, “private moment.” Who had access to such materials? Where was the graphite sourced, by what means, and who labored to bring it to the artist's hand? Consider the global networks that supported the creation of this seemingly simple domestic scene. Editor: So you’re saying that even something as seemingly personal as this is tied to larger economic and social structures? I hadn’t thought of it that way. Curator: Precisely! And let's consider the function of drawings within an artist’s practice at this time. Was this intended as a preparatory sketch? Or was it intended for circulation and consumption on its own merit? Either of these options involve the art market, which relies on both artist and audience being plugged into a complex world. The artist's labor, their access to materials, the artwork’s intended use all contribute to my reading of Haverman's drawing. Does that shift your initial impression? Editor: It definitely complicates it. I was focused on the sentimentality, but thinking about the pencil as a product of labor and global trade adds a whole new layer. I see that "Geluk" is a starting point for many larger questions. Curator: Exactly, and in understanding its creation and circulation, perhaps we can begin to see it within its own time and place more fully.