Het stadhuis in Asperen 1728

Cornelis Pronk made this drawing of the town hall in Asperen with pen in brown ink on paper. The strokes are confidently descriptive, even though the image itself has a quiet, unassuming quality. The materiality here is crucial. A pen-and-ink drawing is a relatively quick process; many of these topographical studies were made by artists like Pronk as records. In turn, these would be translated by printmakers into mass-produced images. This was a highly efficient division of labor. Note how the drawing is both a record and an aesthetic object. The artist doesn't fuss over detail; instead, he captures the building's essence. This reveals something about the social context in which it was produced. Drawings like this were part of a visual economy, feeding the growing demand for images of places and things. Ultimately, the drawing encourages us to look closely at the relationship between art, commerce, and the everyday world.