Boerderijen in een landschap 1888 - 1889

Editor: Here we have Alexander Shilling's "Boerderijen in een landschap", or "Farms in a Landscape", made between 1888 and 1889, using graphite, pencil and ink. It has a very unfinished, raw feel to it, almost like we're catching a glimpse into the artist's sketchbook. What do you see in this piece that speaks to its historical context? Curator: Well, sketches like this offer us a fascinating glimpse into the artistic process itself, which was gaining prominence as art academies expanded and informal artistic communities flourished. The quick, almost shorthand nature of the drawing suggests a focus on capturing immediate impressions of rural life. Do you notice how the buildings aren't romanticized? Editor: I do. They seem almost blocky and functional. Was there a movement away from idealized portrayals of the countryside at the time? Curator: Exactly! There was a growing interest in portraying rural life more realistically, devoid of excessive sentimentality. The burgeoning art market played a role too, demanding scenes of everyday life that resonated with a wider, often middle-class, audience. It reflects the wider social trend of valuing authenticity. Consider Courbet's work a few decades prior. What do you think an urban dweller viewing this in a gallery might feel? Editor: I guess a kind of longing for the simpler life, but also maybe a confrontation with the realities of rural labor? Curator: Precisely. Art was becoming a space where these societal tensions could be explored and even marketed. This little sketch isn’t just a landscape; it's a document of a changing society, caught in pencil and ink. Editor: It's amazing how much history is packed into such a simple sketch. I never would have thought of it that way. Thanks for shedding light on this piece.