Boerenkinderen 1890s - 1900s

Editor: So, here we have Jan de Waardt’s “Boerenkinderen,” or “Peasant Children,” a drawing from the late 1890s, early 1900s. It's rendered in pencil on paper and the rapid lines suggest a fleeting moment, like the artist quickly sketched these figures he observed. How does this study of rural life speak to you? Curator: For me, this drawing throws into sharp relief the conditions of production behind art. De Waardt's choice of humble materials – pencil and paper – isn't merely a matter of artistic preference. It reflects, perhaps unintentionally, the socio-economic realities of his subjects, the peasantry. The roughness, the visible labor in each stroke, speaks volumes about their own daily grind. Notice how their clothing, seemingly simple, would have been produced through extensive labor – from growing flax or wool to spinning, weaving, and tailoring. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. The clothing becomes a testament to labor. Curator: Exactly. And consider the context of Dutch art at the time. While some artists were turning to lavish displays of wealth and modernity, De Waardt is documenting the lives of those often overlooked, grounding his art in the material circumstances of rural existence. What about the use of sketching itself as a method, how does it reflect labor, if any? Editor: Well, maybe he wanted to quickly capture their essence, with these fast lines, their place, their presence in the world at that time…almost like…journalism through drawing, that is fast and simple. Curator: Indeed. This drawing is also an artifact of his labor. It's not just a depiction of peasant children; it's the physical result of De Waardt's time, skill, and the choices he made regarding his materials and his process. Editor: Thinking about it now, this connects art making and subject. Thank you. Curator: Yes, exactly. And the more we unravel these connections, the more meaningful our appreciation becomes.