Handwerkende vrouw in een stoel 1860 - 1861

Isaac Gosschalk made this sketch of a woman in a chair with graphite on paper. The artist uses the inherent qualities of graphite to create tone, texture, and form, using the side of the pencil to build up areas of shadow. The swiftness of the drawing suggests a rapidly captured moment in time. Consider the ways in which the depicted woman also employs materials, processes, and tools of production. The drawing captures her in the midst of making, but what is she making? How does the artist see labor represented here, and the position of women in creative industries and domestic spaces? Next time you look at a work of art, remember to consider the materials, the making, and the context. Only then can you fully appreciate its meaning, and challenge the traditional distinction between fine art and craft.