Werklui bij kade te Rotterdam 1860 - 1921

Adolf le Comte made this drawing of dockworkers in Rotterdam using graphite on paper. Graphite, like charcoal, is a fundamental drawing material, valued for its subtlety and responsiveness. Here, Le Comte has used it to capture a fleeting scene of working life. The image's impact hinges on its immediacy. You can almost feel the workers' weariness in their slumped postures. The rapid, almost scribbled lines suggest a desire to document the scene quickly, as if not wanting to intrude on the workers' rest. This economy of line speaks to the labor involved in their work and the social context of the bustling Rotterdam docks. Le Comte’s choice of graphite, a readily available and relatively inexpensive material, underscores the everyday nature of the subject. It also collapses the distinction between fine art and documentary observation. It shows the value in capturing the realities of labor and the human condition, without grandeur or pretension.