Twee bomen op een helling 1773 - 1843

Curator: This drawing, entitled "Twee bomen op een helling" or "Two Trees on a Slope," is attributed to Georges Michel, dating roughly between 1773 and 1843. It's rendered in pencil, capturing a fleeting moment in nature. Editor: It’s incredibly subtle, almost a whisper of a landscape. The pencil work is so delicate, giving it this ethereal quality. It's got such simplicity and bare minimum, so peaceful, though…sparse. Curator: Sparse, perhaps, but consider the historical context. Michel was working during a period of great social upheaval, the rise and fall of Napoleon, the shift from aristocracy to bourgeois power, all these tumultuous events unfolding while he’s sketching seemingly simple landscapes. Was he interested in depicting this era in history by using just landscapes? What do you make of this choice? Editor: It's interesting that you mention the tumultuous events surrounding its creation. You know, viewing it materially, I'm immediately drawn to the obvious. It looks like he just reached for paper and pencil—easily accessible and reproducible materials—making art creation a practical, immediate act, a common commodity. It feels almost like he wanted everyone to relate and create art using what they had at their disposal at all times. I see the message here… art is for everyone. Curator: I agree. Also consider that, though he wasn't particularly successful in his time, Michel's landscapes often depicted the outskirts of Paris. Could these be a kind of subtle commentary, perhaps an escape from the urban landscape he saw as part of the art market to a place anyone can enjoy? A form of social commentary through artistic choices? Editor: I hadn't considered that angle, very clever! Looking at it through that lens adds another layer to my understanding of the materials and making; maybe he was thinking that something can be truly profound in simple form, without relying on traditional methods and lavishness. It makes you rethink the purpose of art, who it is truly for, right? Curator: Precisely. A seemingly straightforward sketch like this, “Two Trees on a Slope,” opens a fascinating dialogue between the artist’s life, social forces, accessible tools, and materials. I guess it could become a point of contemplation… even meditation if we give ourselves to that interpretation. Editor: Absolutely! It’s truly amazing how a drawing created out of nothing can invite one to go very deeply to think about history, art’s purpose, accessibility to its creation, among others!