Stadspoort te Hamburg (?), vanuit de buitenzijde gezien 1619 - 1690

Anthonie Waterloo made this drawing of a city gate in Hamburg, possibly, using pen and brown ink, with a grey wash. It’s a simple combination of materials, but consider what he achieves with them. The ink allows for a range of light and shade, creating depth on the page. You can see the quick, assured strokes of the pen, sketching in the architectural forms, like the tiled roof and stone tower. And then the grey wash is laid over the top, softening the lines and adding volume to the buildings. Waterloo likely trained in printmaking, and this drawing has a graphic quality, not unlike an etching. The process involves real labor, requiring skill and precision. But beyond that, the drawing depicts labor, showing the city gate and the figures that are about to pass through it. Waterloo’s focus on materiality, process, and social context asks us to see the connection between the art and the world in which it was made.