Gerechtigheid of Wetenschap 1763 - 1826

Abraham van Strij created this sketch with graphite on paper, as a preparatory study for a history painting. The lines that define the figure of Justice or Science are rapidly drawn. The texture of the paper is clearly visible underneath the sketched surface, emphasizing the directness of the artistic process. This immediacy is not accidental. In the late 18th century, the very idea of 'sketching' shifted. No longer was it just a behind-the-scenes activity, useful only for workshops. Instead, it took on a new cultural significance as an embodiment of artistic invention and spontaneity. In this context, the work exemplifies a tension between the careful labor involved in producing a finished painting and the conceptual freedom associated with sketching. By elevating the status of the sketch, artists like van Strij questioned the conventional hierarchies between different types of artistic labor, prefiguring later debates about the value of process in art.