Visser staand met zijn handen in zijn zakken c. 1654

Curator: We're looking at "Visser staand met zijn handen in zijn zakken," or "Fisherman standing with his hands in his pockets," a pencil drawing from around 1654 by Gesina ter Borch, held here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Well, he certainly seems…nonchalant. A man in baggy trousers and an even baggier hat just sort of existing on this toned paper. There's something charmingly unposed about it. Curator: Absolutely. It feels incredibly immediate, doesn't it? You can almost imagine Gesina ter Borch quickly capturing a scene from daily life in 17th-century Netherlands in a sketchbook. Notice the light pencil work and the subtle suggestion of form. It gives a window into the life and labor that's less about romanticizing and more about being "right there". Editor: And that paper matters, too, right? This isn't some pristine white sheet, but something with a tone, a texture. Makes you wonder what its origins were—recycled, perhaps? Offcuts from some larger production? Also how class plays into access of resources to creating artworks. Curator: Precisely. Consider too the genre of paintings at this time period— the fisherman. Its fascinating when you see art moving from royal families in portraits to normal tradesmen at work. And look at the way she suggests his clothing, almost capturing the feel of the fabric with these swift, light strokes. It is like a social commentary in a modest pencil sketch. Editor: I agree. And the fisherman himself…hands in his pockets, bearing no wares. He is taking a breather during his manual labour, contemplating perhaps about capitalism and means of production. The incompleteness adds a touch of mystery and emphasizes a casual depiction instead. He has the look of someone content, for the moment, to just be. Curator: A perfect summation, don’t you think? A quick sketch revealing so much more about its subject and the society surrounding them both. Editor: Indeed. Art like this makes me think about value, what we deem worthy of preservation, and the stories embedded within even the simplest of materials and the act of drawing itself.