Moselandskab 1810 - 1865

Constant Troyon made this drawing of a marshy landscape with graphite on paper. Troyon was part of a generation of French landscape painters who turned away from grand historical themes and towards more everyday subjects. Here, the seeming simplicity of materials and process belies the artist's skill. We see marks that range from the softest, barely-there smudges, to sharply defined lines. This is an unfussy, almost nonchalant use of graphite. We should consider the social context here, too. Paper was becoming increasingly available and affordable during Troyon's lifetime, thanks to industrial production. Graphite, too, could be purchased in pencil form - a relatively new convenience. So, this unassuming drawing is actually evidence of the increasing democratization of art-making. It is not "high art" in the traditional sense, but rather an intimate glimpse into an artist's process, made possible by the changing material conditions of the 19th century.