Zittende figuren, vermoedelijk op kerkbanken 1845 - 1891

This is a drawing by Johannes Bosboom, who lived in the 19th century, of seated figures who are presumably on church benches. The drawing is done in pencil, a relatively new medium at the time, made possible by industrial advances in graphite mining and wood milling. Pencil allowed artists to create preliminary sketches, capturing fleeting impressions and ideas. The quick, light marks and sketchy lines suggest a sense of immediacy and spontaneity. You can almost see Bosboom's hand moving across the paper, swiftly capturing the essence of the scene before him. This directness was contrary to the highly worked-up surfaces and elaborate techniques of academic painting. Instead, the rough quality and casualness point to a shift in artistic values during the 19th century, as artists increasingly embraced a more informal, personal approach to art-making. We can appreciate how Bosboom has given the drawing a loose, unfinished quality, prioritizing the act of observation over technical polish. By focusing on the creative process and the artist's direct engagement with the subject, we can see how this drawing blurs the boundaries between sketch and finished work.