Thomas Lederer, Doctor and homeopath 1846

This portrait of Thomas Lederer, doctor and homeopath, was made with graphite by Josef Kriehuber. The artist skillfully captures Lederer's likeness through the simple medium of graphite on paper, using delicate lines to define form and texture. Look closely, and you'll see the way Kriehuber coaxes tonal variation from a humble material. In the 19th century, graphite portraits became a popular and accessible form of representation, a result of the rise of industrial production making drawing materials available for a wide range of people. This rise in industrialization also created a new class of subjects for artists, like the sitter Lederer himself, his occupation a result of the social and economic conditions of the time. The apparent ease of execution belies the hours of labor needed to produce such an image, a reminder that art-making, like medicine, is a form of work. So, next time you're looking at a drawing, remember that the medium itself carries a history, deeply interwoven with labor, access, and social change.