Head of a Bearded Old Man 1849

Sir George Hayter created this ink drawing, Head of a Bearded Old Man, in 1849. Look closely at the artist's lines. See how the ink varies in tone, from nearly translucent washes to dense strokes of saturated color? The artist’s hand is very present. The whole image seems to have emerged from a rapid, almost obsessive process of mark-making. The final appearance is dictated by the inherent qualities of ink: its fluidity, its capacity for both precision and blur. We can imagine Hayter repeatedly dipping his pen into the ink, each time considering the tonal weight he would then apply to paper. This drawing reminds us that all artmaking begins with a basic expenditure of effort – the physical labor that is necessary to realize an image, or form. This reminds us of the intimate connection between art and labor, challenging any divide between the so-called ‘fine’ and ‘applied’ arts.