A Day's Work c. 1930s

Hans Alexander Mueller made this print, A Day’s Work, using pencil. Look at how the repeating marks come together to describe the different textures. The soft, diffused light, the smooth surface of the water, the rough fabric of the worker’s clothes, and the scales on the fish. I imagine Mueller there, maybe on a cold day, carefully shading the figures with the side of the pencil, filling the whole surface with tone. He’s composing the image, finding the balance between the figures working and the expanse of sea and sky. Notice how the workers are close together, their bodies touching, sharing the labour. See the subtle shifts in tone, the contrast between light and shadow. These repeated strokes create a sense of depth, atmosphere, and quiet industry. It’s so still and dark. I love how a pencil can do that.