Portret van dokter Gutberlett c. 1848 - 1854

This is Christian Heinrich Gottlieb Steuerwald’s portrait of doctor Gutberlett, made with graphite on paper. The choice of graphite is particularly interesting, because it is one of the most basic, elemental materials of artmaking. Steuerwald works it in a very direct way: a dense concentration of marks, built up to yield a likeness, with subtle smudging and shading to soften the effect. Look closely at the linear quality of the hatching, almost as if the artist wanted us to feel the repetitive motion of his hand. The whole composition is balanced between light and dark, and the contrast gives Gutberlett’s face a three-dimensional form. This gives a great sense of immediacy, as though the doctor were sitting right in front of us. The drawing seems to honour the labour involved in its production, and the inherent qualities of graphite. By considering the ways in which Steuerwald engaged with this everyday material, we can begin to see the value in Steuerwald's dedication to this craft.