Boerenkar c. 1864 - 1867

Maria Vos sketched this “Boerenkar,” or farm cart, with pen and ink. The choice of pen and ink emphasizes line, making visible the relationship between the drawing and the object it depicts. Look closely, and you see the cart’s construction, based on wooden members joined together. Even the metal elements are built up from lines. Vos is interested in the way the object comes into being. The drawing style here is less about the illusion of the real, and more about a thinking-through the thing itself. We can feel the weight of the cart. It is a vehicle for labor, for hauling things from one place to another. The cart may also be taken as a symbol. In an agrarian society, it is an emblem of the value of work, and the intimate connection between people and the land. Paying close attention to materials, making, and context allows us to fully understand and appreciate the meaning of this artwork, challenging traditional boundaries between art and craft.