Huis, mogelijk een boerderij, op het platteland 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve made this drawing with graphite on paper, sometime in the 19th century. The modest materials reflect the subject: a simple farmhouse. Notice how Mauve used hatching and cross-hatching to create a sense of depth and shadow. Graphite, a form of carbon, has been used for centuries, but became widely available with industrialization, in the form of mass-produced pencils. Think about the labor involved in creating a drawing like this. It represents the rural landscape and the people who lived there. But the drawing itself relies on industrial processes that were transforming that landscape. The accessibility of graphite democratized art-making, allowing more people to create images and express themselves creatively. In this drawing, the artist blurs the lines between fine art and everyday life. By focusing on the humble farmhouse, Mauve elevates the ordinary and reminds us of the value of simplicity and the importance of the working class.