Landschap met een molen c. 1881 - 1888

Editor: Here we have Anton Mauve's "Landscape with a Windmill," made with graphite around 1881 to 1888. It’s at the Rijksmuseum. The drawing seems… unfinished. I am interested in it; how should we read these sketchy landscapes? Curator: What does "unfinished" mean in this context? Mauve, like many artists of his time, was deeply engaged with representing rural life and the changing relationship between humanity and nature. This drawing is perhaps more than an underdrawing. Instead it's a space to probe the implications of industrialization and agricultural labor. What does that windmill *mean*? Editor: So it's about showing, like, how industrial elements are impacting nature itself, the relationship between progress and a more natural landscape? Is the lack of detail almost a statement in itself? Curator: Exactly. Think about who is operating the windmills, their labour. Consider too, the rise of Realism, with its focus on the everyday and often harsh realities of life for the working class. The sketchy lines can reflect a kind of… visual unease about that reality. They are on the precipice of huge technological advance. Can you feel this unease too, reflected here? Editor: I think so. It isn’t a glorification of nature or rural life, but it's more of a question. By the end of the 19th century, these changes aren't clear cut—progress has its own shadow side. It definitely gives a new layer to what seems simple at first glance. Curator: Indeed. This simple sketch invites us to consider the broader historical and social shifts occurring during Mauve's time, including the rise of industrialism and their consequences for labourers, rural communities, and land. It reminds us to investigate the social narratives embedded within artworks.