Von Gebirgen umgebenes Flusstal, jenseits des Flusses eine Stadt 1792

Johann Peter Neef made this landscape drawing, Surrounded by Mountains, a River Valley, with a Town Beyond the River, using graphite on paper. Look closely, and you’ll see the artist has captured a bustling scene: figures crossing a makeshift bridge, others fishing in the river, and a town nestled in the distance. Neef’s choice of graphite, a relatively inexpensive and easily accessible material, speaks to the work’s function as a study or preparatory sketch. Graphite drawings allowed artists to quickly capture impressions of the world around them, and to explore compositions before committing to more labor-intensive media like oil paint. The delicate lines and subtle gradations of tone create a sense of depth and atmosphere, while also revealing the artist’s careful observation and skillful hand. Notice how the graphite allows for fine details in the architecture of the town and the rendering of the landscape. By focusing on the materials and process behind this drawing, we can appreciate the ways in which art-making is intertwined with the realities of labor, materials, and everyday life.