Schetsen van vrouwen en meisjes op het strand 1874 - 1927

Editor: This is "Sketches of Women and Girls on the Beach" by Johan Antonie de Jonge, created sometime between 1874 and 1927 using pencil on paper. It feels like a fleeting moment captured, a glimpse into a private sketchbook. What strikes you most about it? Curator: What interests me is how this sketch reveals the artist's labor. We see the process of image-making laid bare; the false starts, the lines building upon lines, the conscious decisions about composition. It's not just a picture of women, but an artifact of artistic production. What was the economic reality for an artist like De Jonge at this time? Was this a commissioned piece, or simply studies from life? Editor: I see your point about labor. It definitely feels less like a finished product and more like a step in creating something. Knowing the context, how art was created and received at the time, adds another layer. Curator: Exactly. And consider the materials. The pencil itself, the paper – how accessible were these materials? Who controlled the production and distribution of art supplies? The act of drawing, even casually, is embedded within a system of material exchange. The sketches also touch upon societal notions around women. This wasn’t for public consumption, so the artist might not feel constrained. What do you make of how women are represented? Editor: It is casual, everyday. The sketches give hints about the subject’s social context but also makes the viewer wonder about it. Curator: Precisely! So, from the seemingly simple act of sketching, we can unpack layers of social and material realities surrounding both the artist and the subject. Editor: I never thought about a simple drawing carrying so much social and material information. Now I'm seeing this less as just a sketch and more like an artifact that reveals stories. Curator: Yes, paying attention to the means of production, the materiality, helps us challenge preconceived ideas about art.