Gezicht op gebouwen c. 1828 - 1897

This quick sketch of buildings was made by Adrianus Eversen sometime in the 19th century, using graphite on paper. Eversen chose a humble material and a fast way of working. He’s not trying to knock you over with virtuosity. Instead, he's using the pencil almost like a camera – quickly capturing a scene. Look closely, and you can see the marks of process. The density of the graphite lines changes as Eversen moves from one building to another. He’s mapping the built environment, giving us information about the thickness of walls, the height of windows, and the placement of trees. The sketch captures a moment in time, but it also reveals something about the labor required to build and maintain these buildings. You get a sense of the city as a place of constant construction. So, next time you look at a drawing, consider not just what it depicts, but how it was made, and what it tells us about the world around us. This approach brings what we call ‘craft’ closer to ‘art’.