Kerkinterieur 1827 - 1891

Johannes Bosboom made this sketch of a church interior with graphite on paper. The immediacy of the graphite allows Bosboom to capture the essence of the architectural space with rapid lines. The choice of graphite on paper emphasizes the work's transient nature, existing as a preliminary study rather than a finished piece. Look closely and you'll notice the texture of the paper itself. It's allowed the graphite to skip across its surface, creating lighter, broken lines. We see the interior of a church, captured in light, gestural strokes, from the ribbed vaulting of the ceiling to the benches. The quick, loose lines suggest the artist was trying to capture a fleeting moment. This connects with the wider social context of urbanization and industrialization, where artists sought to capture the ephemeral aspects of modern life. This sketch is less about the precision of the architecture and more about the atmosphere it creates. The sketch invites us to consider the value of unfinished, process-oriented works. It challenges the distinction between a sketch and a finished artwork.