Predikant in het water 1797 - 1798

Editor: This is "Predikant in het water" – or "Preacher in the Water" – a drawing made around 1797 or 1798 by Pieter van Woensel, rendered in pen, ink and pencil on toned paper. It looks like a cartoon. It's funny, almost slapstick, but also slightly unsettling. What’s your take? Curator: Unsettling is a great starting point. Look at the use of pen and ink – seemingly quick, but each mark is a decision. How does the materiality of the drawing – the toned paper itself, the contrast of dark ink, influence how we interpret the social critique being offered here? Is Woensel challenging the status or behavior of preachers through both subject and his *application* of media? Editor: So you're thinking about how the very act of sketching – the quickness of it, maybe the inherent disposability of a sketch – contributes to the satirical message? Curator: Precisely! Sketches like this weren't necessarily intended as 'high art', but often circulated within social and political circles. Think about who consumed this image, and the act of consumption itself. What sort of workshops might these artists have existed in? What materials were available? Were there different types of inks depending on the patrons that commissioned works? Editor: So, the cheapness of the materials, or even the style of rapid production, makes the caricature of the preacher more pointed, almost disposable. It wasn't meant to last. Curator: Exactly. It reflects a certain attitude *towards* its subject – a comment not just *in* the image, but *by* the image itself, and its production. And perhaps also on those producing the work! Editor: I see. Looking at it that way, I do get a sense of how the materials used here help cement the meaning. Curator: Right. It's not just *what* is depicted, but *how* it's depicted. That makes all the difference.