De beestenmarkt te Purmerend 1727

Cornelis Pronk rendered this depiction of the Purmerend cattle market in pen and grey ink, with brush in grey wash. Pronk's choice of a monochrome palette is critical here. It suggests the dispassionate eye of a surveyor, meticulously recording the details of the scene. The thin lines of the pen create a sense of precision, ideal for capturing the architecture and the arrangement of the marketplace. The application of grey wash with a brush softens the image, creating atmospheric depth. The sky, rendered in gentle gradations, provides a backdrop that enhances the linear quality of the buildings. The entire work speaks to a system of labor, trade, and consumption, and the artist here uses these accessible materials to give form to the early modern commercial activity. In viewing this drawing, one can see how an artist's technique shapes our understanding, challenging any separation between art and craft.