Sheet of Sketches: Men and Women n.d.

Antoine Pierre Mongin created this sheet of sketches of men and women in the late 18th and early 19th century using graphite on paper. The material itself, graphite, is key. As a relatively recent innovation in Mongin’s time, graphite allowed for a delicacy and precision not possible with earlier drawing media like silverpoint or charcoal. The very affordability of paper also opened up new possibilities for artistic exploration, enabling artists to rapidly generate and iterate ideas. Mongin’s light, quick strokes suggest a mind at work, capturing fleeting observations and testing out compositions. While the sketches appear informal, there is clear skill in rendering figures and drapery with such economy of line. The very disposability of paper freed Mongin to experiment, without the pressure of creating a finished work. Considering the materiality of Mongin's sketch provides a glimpse into the daily work of an artist in a rapidly changing world. It underscores that art-making is always deeply entwined with social and economic forces, influencing both the means of production and the creative process itself.