Mythologische of Bijbelse scène c. 1657

Editor: Here we have Moses ter Borch’s "Mythological or Biblical Scene," sketched around 1657, rendered in pencil. It’s currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. There’s something quite raw about the sketch; the figures seem caught mid-motion. What draws your eye in this piece? Curator: The immediate thing that strikes me is the labor involved in even this seemingly simple drawing. Pencil wasn't always as accessible as it is now. The procurement of graphite, the production process - these reflect the economic realities of artmaking in the Dutch Golden Age. Did ter Borch create this as a preparatory sketch? How would this drawing have been regarded? Editor: That’s fascinating, I hadn’t considered the labor aspect so directly. It definitely pushes us to see it as something more than just a study of form. I guess if we think about it materially, a pencil drawing places it quite far down in the art market hierarchy, versus, say, a painting. Curator: Precisely! The choice of medium dictated its perceived value and its function within ter Borch’s practice. What sort of consumer was he designing this for, and for what purpose would they need the drawing in their lives? This allows us to think about artistic consumption differently. Was this preparatory? Is this itself a finished product to be studied? Editor: So it's less about the depicted narrative, more about the socio-economic narrative *around* its creation. How ordinary people saw the cultural relevance and materiality in their world at that moment. Curator: Exactly. The appeal lies in decoding how ter Borch negotiated his position within that system and with what tools were made available to him. And the fact that it still survives is a testament to artmaking labor itself. Editor: It certainly adds another layer of appreciation to consider the materials and the hands that brought this sketch into being. Thank you.