Allegory of Art Making 1606

Hans Reichle made this drawing, Allegory of Art Making, using pen and brown ink with gray wash. The traditional medium allows the artist to experiment with form and expression. The figure of art is shown dominating a figure of labor. Look closely, and you can see how Reichle uses line work to create both delicate shading and bold outlines. The effect is to give the drawing a sculptural quality, appropriate considering Reichle’s work as a sculptor. The act of drawing itself – immediate and direct – here stands in stark contrast to the labor of sculpture, which is arduous and time-consuming. The chained figure suggests that artistic genius can only emerge when labor is suppressed. This attitude elevates the artist above the craftsman, a distinction that Reichle, who practiced both, must have understood intimately. This drawing reminds us that artworks are not just aesthetic objects; they are also products of labor, skill, and a complex social context.