Kar voor een boerenwoning c. 1886 - 1888

Anton Mauve made this drawing of a wagon in front of a farmhouse using graphite on paper. Graphite, in pencil form, offers a directness of application, reflecting the artist's immediate response to the scene. The visible strokes of the graphite imbue the work with texture and depth. You can almost feel the rough surface of the thatched roof and the uneven ground. Mauve's choice of graphite as a medium speaks to a shift towards valuing the everyday and the ordinary. It is more closely associated with sketching and preliminary studies rather than the more laboured techniques of oil painting. The sketch evokes the social context of rural life, hinting at the labor involved in agriculture. The wagon suggests the transportation of goods and the connection between rural communities and the wider market. Mauve’s work elevates the significance of everyday scenes and labor. It challenges traditional hierarchies within art by valuing the simplicity and authenticity of rural existence.