Jagers met een hond in de duinen 1830 - 1860

Albertus van Beest made this drawing of hunters with a dog in the dunes using graphite on paper. It’s a simple medium, of course, just black carbon rubbed onto a surface, but graphite offers a wide spectrum of effects. Here, the artist uses it to evoke a whole coastal landscape. The granular texture of the paper is integral to the effect, giving a tactile quality to the scene. You can almost feel the windblown sand. Beyond its material qualities, the drawing also speaks to the social context of hunting in the 19th century. Was it a sport for the wealthy, a source of food for the poor, or something in between? It is through humble materials like graphite that artists can lead us to consider broader questions, blurring the lines between art, craft, and social commentary.