Cheat River 1867

Andrew Fisher Bunner made this pencil drawing, "Cheat River", in 1867. Pencil is a humble material, of course. But its very accessibility made it a favorite medium for artists of the 19th century, who wanted to record their impressions of the world around them. Here, Bunner uses pencil to capture the texture and atmosphere of a riverside landscape. Look closely, and you can see how he varies the pressure of his strokes to create different effects, from the dense foliage of the hillside to the shimmering surface of the water. The marks on the page evoke the artist's hand moving across the paper, a direct connection between his eye, mind, and the landscape before him. While seemingly simple, the drawing embodies a specific set of skills and a way of seeing the world. It’s a reminder that even the most everyday materials can be used to create something beautiful and meaningful, and it invites us to appreciate the artistry that goes into capturing a fleeting moment in time.