Voor een kar gespannen paard c. 1876 - 1888

Anton Mauve made this drawing, "Voor een kar gespannen paard," using graphite on paper. This isn't a finished picture, but a sketch – a quick study done to understand the subject. Mauve's choice of graphite is crucial. It allowed him to rapidly capture the scene with a range of tonal values, from the faintest suggestion of the horse's form to the darker, more defined lines indicating its harness and musculature. The very act of sketching implies a direct engagement with the subject, an attempt to grasp the essence of the animal's form and its relationship to labor. The sketch also speaks to the social context of the time. Horses were essential for transportation and agriculture, their labor forming the backbone of the economy. Mauve's sketch acknowledges this reality, depicting the animal not as a majestic creature but as a worker, bound to a cart. By focusing on the materiality and the process behind this sketch, we can better understand the artist's intention and its connection to the broader social landscape of the time. It challenges the traditional view of fine art as purely aesthetic, revealing its potential to reflect the realities of labor and everyday life.