Schaapskudde 1848 - 1888

Curator: Anton Mauve's "Schaapskudde," dating roughly from 1848 to 1888, presents us with a study in graphite and pencil, currently housed here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first impression is the drawing feels almost ethereal, capturing the quietude of a landscape dominated by what I presume is a flock of sheep. It's quite minimalist, emphasizing line and form. Curator: Indeed. This work resonates with the then-contemporary rise of industrial labor where there's simultaneously the bucolic idyll with the shepherding profession but the means by which it is depicted reflects accessibility—pencil and paper becoming available on a mass scale. Who does the labor serve? Who is making this art and from what place? Editor: Good point, how readily available and at what cost the materials for the making of such work were produced absolutely informed the style as well as subject matter. Speaking of means, Mauve's delicate pencil strokes certainly evoke a sense of transience. I'm intrigued by the technique here; how he creates volume with so little. It’s interesting when positioned within broader developments in agriculture, and it brings the rural worker closer. The paper becomes land—with inherent limitations that become strengths. Curator: It encourages one to think about the cultural implications. At that time we see in Dutch society, not only advancements in agricultural production but changes to what labor is considered valuable with the growth of capitalist markets, and subsequently new class tensions and movements. A subject like sheep can both romanticize nature while also subtly acknowledging those shifts. Who and where and what. The labor implied for shepherding, for pencil-making, for artistry—these are inseparable in reading "Schaapskudde". Editor: Ultimately the sheep huddle not only together, but on the very page. It is a portrait both still and alive that uses modest materials to present something monumental and worthy of contemplation. Curator: Yes, Mauve's work encourages us to meditate on these dualities and to remember the interwoven nature of art and broader societal changes.