A Brook (from Hosack Album) 1800 - 1878

George Harvey made 'A Brook' from the Hosack Album with graphite on paper. It's easy to overlook the humble pencil, but graphite is a powerful medium. Harvey coaxes a remarkable range of tones and textures from it. See how he uses delicate hatching to create the soft, diffused light filtering through the trees. The grain of the paper itself becomes part of the image, adding to the sense of atmosphere. While sketching might seem like a simple, solitary act, it's worth remembering that even this relies on a complex system of extraction, manufacturing, and distribution. Graphite mines, paper mills, global trade routes – all are implicated in this seemingly straightforward landscape drawing. The artist's labor, too, is part of the equation. Harvey's skill in rendering this scene reflects hours of practice and observation. Thinking about the materials and processes behind this work encourages us to consider the broader economic and social forces that shape even the most intimate artistic expressions.