Man met een tas Possibly 1870 - 1877

Cornelis Springer created this drawing of a man with a bag, using what appears to be graphite on paper. The composition centres on the man and his bag, rendered with a series of lines and shading to convey form and texture. The marks display an economy of means. The overall visual experience relies heavily on the interaction between the artist's marks and the blankness of the paper, creating a contrast that invites the eye to construct the figure. The directionality and weight of the lines give the figure depth, while the details of the man's clothing and bag suggest a narrative. In the end the lack of background enhances the subject, reducing everything to its essential form. Springer asks us to consider what makes a representation complete, or, at what point does a sketch become an image? The negative space becomes as important as the drawn elements themselves. It is a meditation on the nature of representation, on how much information is needed to conjure an image.