Raderboot op de Rijn bij Bieberich bij avond 1851 - 1902

Carel Nicolaas Storm van 's-Gravesande created this print of a paddle steamer on the Rhine using graphite on paper. Graphite, a form of carbon, allows for a wide range of tonal values, from the subtlest grays to nearly solid black. The artist used these properties to great effect, rendering the reflective surface of the water, the somber sky, and the dark silhouette of the boat. This work is an exercise in the art of atmospheric perspective, a traditional way to create the illusion of depth. But it also captures a moment in the history of transportation: the paddle steamer, an emblem of nineteenth-century industrial progress, here depicted as a source of light and energy amidst the gloom. Graphite itself is also a material extracted from the earth, connected to a history of mining and industrial production. This print, therefore, is not just a picturesque scene, but a document of technological change and labor.