Huis van leerlooiers te Maastricht 1839

"Huis van leerlooiers te Maastricht," or "House of the Tanners in Maastricht", is an undated drawing by Alexander Schaepkens, rendered in graphite, black chalk, and watercolor on paper. During the 19th century, the artist situated himself within the burgeoning field of urban sketching which captured the transformation of cities. Here, Schaepkens depicts the historic tanneries of Maastricht, a scene imbued with the realities of labor and industry. Tanneries were often relegated to specific quarters due to the unpleasant odors and environmental impact of leather production. The choice to depict this scene reflects an interest in the working class and the spaces they inhabited. The drawing's somber tones and detailed architectural rendering evoke a sense of the daily lives of the tanners. How does this depiction both acknowledge and perhaps romanticize the realities of labor and urban life in the 19th century?