Rijtjeshuizen langs een kanaal 1888 - 1889

Editor: This is "Rijtjeshuizen langs een kanaal," or "Row Houses Along a Canal," a drawing from 1888-1889 by Alexander Shilling. It looks like it was quickly sketched in pencil and perhaps ink. The mood feels transient and a bit unfinished. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: I immediately see the physical act of its creation. Look at the repetitive marks. The artist's hand moving quickly, trying to capture the essence of the canal houses. I wonder what kind of pencil and paper were available to Shilling then? Mass-produced sketchbooks were becoming more common. Was this a readily available commodity? Or a treasured item? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't considered the material context so closely. How does that influence your interpretation? Curator: It forces us to acknowledge the artist's labor, the repetitive action, the physicality of drawing. These weren't grand materials. This isn't about illusion, but more about process, more like a working document, or perhaps the artist planning out their inventory. This is very different to the kind of finished painting someone might hang in their homes. The materials themselves would be much cheaper too. This piece is tied more directly to commerce, to the realities of late 19th century Amsterdam, to the economic drivers shaping the city itself. Think about the buildings; rows of relatively modest materials and decoration being depicted in pencil. Editor: So you are focusing on the actual materials available and the type of physical labor involved to examine art history? Curator: Absolutely. Considering the socio-economic context in the way it impacts on process, on what kinds of art got made and sold and consumed. Editor: That gives me a completely different perspective on a simple sketch! Curator: Precisely. It's about questioning the assumptions of art history and considering the humble origins and methods. It makes us reconsider who it was for, the cultural implications and value in terms of material value.