Youth and Age 1883 - 1884

Elihu Vedder made this illustration, "Youth and Age", using a meticulous drawing technique. The lines are incredibly fine, built up to create a sense of volume and texture. You can almost feel the drape of the fabric, the wooliness of the goats, and the roughness of the old woman's hands. Look closely, and you'll notice the tools of spinning, the implements of cottage industry. Vedder is engaging with a pre-industrial aesthetic, one in which the hand is the primary engine of production, not the machine. There is an inherent relationship between the slowness of the medium, and the subject matter. The contrast between youth and age mirrors the time-consuming, labor-intensive process of craft itself. The artwork's sepia tones evoke a sense of nostalgia, romanticizing a time before mass production. Consider how Vedder uses the act of making to meditate on time, labor, and the cyclical nature of life. It challenges us to reflect on the value we place on both youth and the wisdom that comes with age.