Fabrieksjongen die een machine bedient in een borstelfabriek 1868 - 1892

This is a drawing by Anthon Gerhard Alexander van Rappard. The somber image shows a young factory worker operating a machine in a brush factory; a scene rendered with visible pencil strokes on paper. The composition is dominated by vertical lines that create a sense of confinement and the oppressive industrial environment. Van Rappard's structural use of line and shadow invites us to consider the social context. The boy is positioned to the left of the composition, facing a large, complex machine. The artist used the contrast between the smooth, rounded forms of the boy and the sharp, angular lines of the machine. This visual dissonance may point to the thematic tension between the individual and the industrial complex. The drawing's stark realism destabilizes any romantic notions of industrial progress. It offers a critical perspective on labor and its human cost. This artwork should prompt us to consider how art engages with, and challenges, broader socio-political structures.