Man met een pet Possibly 1873

Editor: This is Cornelis Springer's "Man met een pet," possibly from 1873, rendered in pencil. It's quite a casual sketch; the figure is reclining, almost lounging. What strikes you most about it? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the raw materiality of the piece. We're seeing the direct trace of Springer's hand, the pressure he exerted with the pencil on the paper. Consider the accessibility of the medium; pencil and paper. This speaks to a certain democratization of art-making, doesn’t it? Who was Springer, and what was his social standing that afforded him the means to engage with this practice, however informally? Editor: Springer was a Dutch painter and printmaker known for his architectural views, and I think his work was largely popular with the upper middle class. Curator: Exactly. The seemingly effortless nature of the sketch belies the artist’s practiced hand and access to both materials and leisure time. Think about the labour involved in producing even these simple tools: the mining of graphite, the processing of wood for the pencil, the manufacturing of paper from raw materials. Each element is tied to a complex network of production and consumption. Does the sketch itself hint at similar tensions between labour and leisure? Editor: Well, it's a quick sketch, seemingly done in one sitting. It could be seen as a snapshot of a relaxed moment, or maybe just an exercise. Curator: Indeed. Perhaps it's also important to consider what isn't shown: the setting, the man's occupation. The negative space around the figure and their omission begs the question as to the economic structures at play here, no? How does the ease with which Springer portrays this scene contrast with the unshown economic realities? Editor: I hadn't thought about the unseen labour. This quick sketch, using something as simple as pencil and paper, really opens up to reveal so much more. Curator: Precisely. By considering the materials and the processes inherent in the creation of this sketch, we are invited to reconsider the relationship between artistic creation, materiality, and the larger socioeconomic structures that underpin them.