Kop met brede hoed met slappe rand 1840 - 1880

Editor: This drawing, "Head with a Wide Brimmed Hat with a Drooping Edge" by Johannes Tavenraat, was created sometime between 1840 and 1880, and it's made with pencil and ink. It looks like a quick sketch. I’m intrigued by the artist's choice of medium—pencil and ink aren’t necessarily precious materials. What can you tell me about the materials used here and why they might be important? Curator: I am glad you point that out. This drawing epitomizes how we should be viewing art beyond aesthetic pleasure, moving towards appreciating the materials themselves and the conditions of their use. Pencil and ink in a quick sketch tell us this wasn’t about high art pretension but the everyday practice, almost the labor, of artistic observation. Editor: Labor, that’s interesting. How so? Curator: Think about it: the accessibility of these materials makes art production less exclusive. Tavenraat likely wasn't crafting a masterpiece for a wealthy patron here. Instead, it speaks to the democratizing potential inherent in the means of artistic production. Editor: So, the humbleness of the medium changes our perception of the artist? Curator: Precisely. By using common materials, Tavenraat potentially challenges traditional boundaries of fine art, suggesting that art making can be integrated into, and reflective of, common experiences and not confined to a separate, rarefied sphere. How does viewing the piece this way change your reading of it? Editor: It’s not just a portrait; it's a document of a process, a record of someone engaging with their world in a tangible way. Curator: Exactly. It highlights how focusing on materiality helps us understand art not just as a representation, but as an outcome of specific processes, reflecting larger social and economic forces. It’s about thinking of the drawing as a product, impacted by material availability and consumption patterns. Editor: That shifts my understanding completely. I'm now seeing art-making as labor captured through specific materials available in a specific context!