Kapitein 1840 - 1880

Editor: This is "Kapitein," a pencil drawing from around 1840 to 1880, by Frederik Lambertus Geerling. I’m struck by the aged paper it’s drawn on – it almost feels like a found object. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, the materiality is quite telling, isn’t it? This drawing isn't presented as high art, but more as an everyday production; a utilitarian object, perhaps from a sketchbook. It suggests an interesting social context—a glimpse into the life and potential work of the artist. It brings into focus the physical act of sketching, and how the materials themselves, the paper, the pencil, are fundamental to understanding the work. What do you think about that heavy coat depicted on the image? Editor: That’s true, I hadn't considered the labor behind the materials. The artist could have spent more time representing the details of the clothing than the subject itself, reflecting the material importance, a status symbol even! But doesn't this potentially diminish the artistic skill, making it more of a craft? Curator: Precisely! It challenges our assumptions about 'skill' and 'art'. Was the creation of this drawing born from necessity to make a portrait based on labor activity? Considering it through the lens of the artist's practice, maybe the distinction blurs when the craft of drawing is itself part of a broader, everyday life. Is the artistic experience always the production of material in relation with life or activities developed in it? Editor: I see. It moves away from pure aesthetics and into the realm of lived experience and even economic factors in a certain manner. Curator: Indeed. This drawing encourages us to look at the conditions of its making, its consumption, and its social role. This way it helps understand our place as subjects too. Editor: It definitely changed my initial perspective. Thanks, it makes the art piece a more approachable, everyday, and tangible object!