Henriëtte Roland Holst-van der Schalk, zittend in een tuin 1893

Editor: Here we have Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst's 1893 pencil drawing, "Henriëtte Roland Holst-van der Schalk, zittend in een tuin", housed at the Rijksmuseum. It feels so…raw, like a glimpse into the artist's personal sketchbook. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: I'm drawn to the very immediacy of the pencil on paper. Consider the economic realities here: paper and pencil, accessible materials. This contrasts with the traditional, costly artistic practices often favored for portraits. What does the choice of such humble materials tell us about the artist's intent, and perhaps, about the sitter's social position? Editor: It's interesting you mention that. Could it be a conscious decision to democratize portraiture, focusing more on the person than on elaborate displays of wealth? Curator: Precisely. We must examine the labour involved: the artist's hand moving across the page, the repetitive strokes building form. How does this direct engagement with the material differ from, say, commissioning a painting from a workshop? And think about the availability and consumption of art supplies at the time. Editor: That shifts my perspective quite a bit. I was initially just seeing a simple sketch, but now I recognize it might reflect a bigger commentary on artistic production itself. Curator: Absolutely. The unfinished quality encourages us to consider art as process, rather than a finalized, precious object. Is this lack of finish also perhaps a question posed by the artist as to where 'high art' truly begins and ends, and whose labor really matters in the artworld's creation and subsequent evaluation? Editor: I hadn't considered that idea of the artistic process being elevated like this, instead of a perfectly polished painting. It makes you appreciate the initial spark of an idea, not just the final product. Curator: Exactly! It underlines the value of artistic labor and the means through which artistic creation comes into being, demystifying the "art object." Editor: Well, I definitely learned a lot from just looking beyond the surface of this simple pencil drawing. I will always remember to now check for the production and materials involved. Curator: A materialist lens can often help see beyond just what is represented, but HOW it is represented and within which systems of labor and creation the work resides!