Jongen op de Antwerpse kades 1874

George Clausen made this sketch, "Boy on the Antwerp Quays," with graphite on paper. The artist's hand is immediately evident, in this most direct of drawing media. The graphite reads as a fleeting record of a moment, registering the figure of a working-class boy within the busy port setting of Antwerp. Look closely, and you can see how Clausen varied the pressure to give weight to the lines of the boy’s face and clothing, contrasting with the sparse background. The quickness of the sketch emphasizes the socio-economic context of the subject matter. Ports were, and remain, places of intense manual labor, the lifeblood of global trade. The artist's process, using the simplest of means, mirrors the social reality he depicts. Recognizing the importance of materials, making, and context allows us to consider the artwork as not just an aesthetic representation but also as a reflection on labor and class.