Landschappen c. 1850 - 1950

Editor: This is "Landschappen" by Monogrammist DS, dating from somewhere around 1850 to 1950. It’s a pencil and graphite drawing on paper. It reminds me of sketches in a personal sketchbook. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Considering the context of the mid-19th to mid-20th century, a sketchbook like this prompts questions about artistic labor and accessibility. The very act of sketching, of using readily available and inexpensive materials like pencil and paper, democratizes art-making. We need to see how mass production, materiality and distribution of art supplies changed landscape art at the time. Do you think this sketch could challenge notions of 'high art' versus 'craft'? Editor: I think so! By focusing on accessible materials, it makes you wonder who was able to create art, and how that changed over time. Did the availability of these materials change what was considered important in art? Curator: Precisely. The transition to easily obtained materials allowed artists to focus on recording observations. Also, we can explore art production methods—were such sketches meant as preliminary studies for larger works or finished pieces? Editor: That makes a lot of sense. Looking at it through that lens really opens it up. I hadn’t really considered how access to materials shaped artistic practices. Curator: Examining the 'means of production' encourages a dialogue. We question established hierarchies within art history. It seems, in that era, landscape, like work, was for everyone. Editor: I will definitely think of art making differently now! It’s fascinating to see how materials influence the creation and reception of art.