Boomstammen 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve created this drawing of tree trunks using black chalk and touches of color on paper. Chalk, a humble material, allows for rapid sketching and capturing of fleeting moments, quite different from the laborious, more staged approach of oil painting. Mauve's choice of chalk suggests a focus on immediacy and a direct connection with the subject. The marks are direct, raw, capturing the density of a forest. The use of such a readily available, inexpensive material also reflects a shift towards portraying everyday life and the working landscape. Unlike the polished surfaces of academic painting, chalk lends itself to a more informal, intimate portrayal of the natural world. It echoes the raw materials of labor and industry. The drawing reminds us that every artwork is rooted in material and process. It challenges us to look beyond the image and consider the artist's hand and the world they lived in.