Cheat River Valley; verso: Cheat River and Monongahela River 5 - 1860

Editor: This is Sanford Robinson Gifford's sketch, "Cheat River Valley." It's a simple pencil drawing, and I’m struck by the handmade quality – you can really see the artist’s hand in the marks. What do you see in this piece, thinking about its production? Curator: The rapid strokes speak to a moment of plein air observation. I wonder what kind of pencil Gifford was using, and how the available paper affected his mark-making? The relative ease of obtaining these materials also speaks to Gifford's class and access. Editor: That’s a really interesting point. I hadn’t thought about the social implications of access to materials. Curator: The presumed disposability of a sketch like this, compared to a finished painting, is something to consider, too. The materials themselves dictate the value we ascribe. Editor: I've never considered the class implications of a pencil! Thank you for illuminating that.