Fra galleriet omkring Widemer portens spir, Leeuwarden, Holland 1834

This pencil drawing was made by Martinus Rørbye, capturing a view from a gallery around the Widemer Gate spire in Leeuwarden, Holland. The artist’s choice of pencil is telling. It's a readily available, relatively inexpensive material which encourages spontaneity. Note the rapid, searching lines, and the light and shade of the marks made on the paper. Rørbye’s technique reflects a direct, unfiltered impression of the scene before him. But consider too, what it means to create an image of architecture with such humble means. The spire itself would have been the result of considerable labor. Bricks would have been molded and fired, stones quarried and dressed, all lifted into place by skilled tradesmen. Rørbye seems to democratize this effort through his art, using a simple graphite stick to capture and communicate something of the effort and vision that went into the spire's construction. Ultimately, by emphasizing the simple act of drawing, Rørbye prompts us to consider the relationship between labor, artistry, and the built environment.