drawing, print, pencil, graphite
drawing
landscape
figuration
pencil
graphite
realism
Dimensions 80 × 120 mm
William Henry Pyne made this sketch, "Woodsman Axing Fallen Tree," in England, sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. In it, we see a man, presumably a worker, poised to strike a fallen tree with an ax. But what does it mean to picture such a scene? The image's meaning emerges when we examine the complex relationship between humans and nature in England at that time. This was a period of agricultural improvement and deforestation, which impacted local economies and changed the landscape. Pyne made this sketch as studies for larger paintings and illustrations. In doing so, he participated in an art market that was increasingly interested in landscape and rural life. To get a deeper understanding, we can always turn to sources like estate records, agricultural reports, and visual archives. These resources can help us to understand the relationship between this image and the broader social and environmental changes that were transforming England at the time.
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