River Landscape with Castle n.d.

This landscape with a castle was drawn anonymously, using pen and brown ink on paper. At first glance, the sepia ink evokes the old master drawings, but notice how the artist's pen is not committed to any particular feature, form, or line weight. The castle, the river, and the trees appear as soft volumes, loosely described in the drawing, and the work is not about observation of nature. The artist's focus appears to be the depiction of light. By layering, hatching, and cross-hatching, the artist explores a range of textures, shadows, and tonal values. The castle is located at the high point of the drawing, and light floods the vista to capture an atmospheric quality. A great deal of artistic labor is invested in this work, with the artist working in layers to conjure this vision with skill, precision, and control. Paying attention to the artist's labor allows us to gain an understanding of the meaning of the artwork, challenging the traditional hierarchy between art, craft, and design.