Man die vanaf een jaagpad een boot keert met een stok 1908

Alexander Shilling made this sketch of a man steering a boat with a pole from a towpath sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It’s made with graphite on paper, humble materials put to use in a rapid, economical way. The texture is rough and ready, built up of many short, sharp lines. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the page, capturing the scene quickly and efficiently. The sketch is quite minimal, and this gives it a wonderful sense of immediacy. It feels very much of the moment. This reminds us of the way that drawing was taught at the time – as a practical skill, fundamental to all kinds of design and manufacture. It wasn't necessarily intended as fine art; it was about recording observations and ideas. Shilling’s sketch reflects the value placed on efficiency and utility, mirroring the industrial and economic imperatives of the era. Looking closely at the materials and the way they are used, we can see how art is always connected to the wider world of labor and production.