Dorpsstraat met figuren 1849 - 1895

Willem Koekkoek made this sketch of a village street with pencil on paper. This is a study, not a finished work. We can see him working through the composition, the lines tentative and searching. Pencil, like charcoal, is a humble material. It's right there in the name – a "pencil" derives from the old word for lead, though of course, it's actually made of graphite. It’s cheap, widely available, and requires no elaborate preparation to use. For these reasons, it has always been the medium of choice for preparatory studies. But don't underestimate the importance of drawing. It's where artists work out their ideas, experiment with different compositions, and develop their skills. In a sense, all other art forms begin with drawing, with the artist’s hand capturing their observations and impressions. So even though this may seem like a simple sketch, it's an essential part of the artistic process. It shows us the artist thinking, and that can be just as fascinating as any finished painting.