Bezoekers op een terras voor een herberg 1840

This lively scene of visitors on a terrace was captured by Eugène François de Block in 1847, using graphite and possibly watercolor on paper. Note the artist's deft handling of the graphite medium. Look closely at the lines: see how they vary in pressure and density to create a sense of depth and atmosphere. The figures are rendered with swift, confident strokes, particularly the woman in the foreground, her dress and posture sketched with an economy of line. The social context is also important: De Block has captured a moment of everyday life, the figures animated by conversation and drink. The use of paper, pencil, and watercolor – portable, relatively inexpensive materials – aligns with the growing accessibility of art-making in the 19th century. It allowed artists to capture fleeting moments and scenes from daily life, and in this way, it also democratized the making of art.