Gezicht op het Huis te Gennep, 1672 1900 - 1903

Editor: This is "Gezicht op het Huis te Gennep, 1672," a pencil drawing by the frères Moreau from around 1900-1903. It feels very sparse and preliminary, almost like a topographical survey. What do you see in it? Curator: I see an intimate connection to the labor of art making. The delicate pencil strokes and emphasis on line suggest an emphasis on process. We have to consider what labor was needed for the materials like graphite or the sourcing and creation of paper, and even consider who commissioned such work and for what purpose. Editor: So you’re saying it’s less about the place depicted and more about the *doing* of the image? Curator: Precisely. Think of the social context: why create a landscape drawing using pencil at this time? The pencil as a material itself democratizes the production, as compared to paints that would have been more laborious to prepare and expensive. Who has access to this method of representation, and how does that shape what is being shown? Editor: I hadn't considered the choice of medium as a social statement. The "quickness" of a drawing gives it a sense of informality, compared to oil on canvas. Curator: Yes, and what that immediacy represents regarding access to art-making tools. The focus here isn't the 'grand landscape', it's a record, a registration through the hand of the artist utilizing accessible technology. What assumptions did you initially have about art, prior to analyzing through this material lens? Editor: Well, I definitely used to separate "fine art" from craft. Seeing this drawing highlights the process that unites all making, regardless of perceived hierarchy. Curator: Exactly. Considering process helps to collapse distinctions that are constructed, socially and economically. Editor: I'll certainly view artworks with the making process in mind!