Man bij een kudde, mogelijk schapen c. 1884 - 1887

Curator: Looking at this landscape drawing by Willem Witsen, titled “Man by a Flock, possibly Sheep,” dating back to between 1884 and 1887, currently held in the Rijksmuseum, I immediately think of how much texture can come from just pencil and paper. Editor: It's so subtle, isn’t it? It's almost dreamlike—soft edges and blurred forms create this very delicate, ephemeral atmosphere. Almost feels like it could float away. Curator: Absolutely. Considering Witsen was active during the rise of industrialization, I see this sketch as an embrace of rural simplicity. The soft graphite marks almost romanticize the agrarian lifestyle. The very nature of graphite, derived from the earth, connects the labor depicted in this art to a larger network of resource extraction. Editor: Interesting, placing the social and economic context center stage, and viewing labor from this point of view. Personally, I get such a calming sense of watching over, like I'm at the edge of a field. Curator: Well, Witsen often explored the Dutch landscape, particularly the areas around Amsterdam, so what seems peaceful now could have been a comment on the changing world then. The sketch itself as a tangible object, a product of labor itself too – paper manufacturing, the mining of graphite. What stories the materials themselves whisper. Editor: Indeed. The quickness of the sketch—the medium allows that—creates a very impressionistic feeling despite the lack of color. The values shift so gently to capture the movement of the animals, I believe. Curator: Agreed! The simplicity of it—it reminds me of capturing a fleeting memory, trying to grab something just as it vanishes. Editor: Looking at this today certainly gives one pause about how labor has evolved. Something meditative in the work. It’s subtle beauty underscores how vital rural economies once were – and arguably still are. Curator: The humble pencil, used so elegantly to elevate the everyday, I feel there is magic here. Editor: In its unassuming presentation, it captures more than just a man and some animals; it captures the essence of a bygone era.