Studies van een groep mannen 1827 - 1891

Editor: This is "Studies van een groep mannen" by Johannes Bosboom, likely created sometime between 1827 and 1891. It's a pencil drawing. It seems like a quick sketch, a snapshot of everyday life. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What I notice first is the materiality of this drawing: the specific pencil Bosboom used, the tooth of the paper itself. Consider how the artist is depicting working-class men; a glimpse into their communal activities. We can look at the social context, examine Bosboom's choices regarding the materials and methods he used to depict labor. It's a commentary, however subtle, about the role of working men. Editor: So you're saying the choice of a simple pencil sketch, rather than a more formal painting, might be significant? Curator: Exactly. Pencil lends itself to immediacy, to a certain casualness. A finished oil painting might ennoble the subject, but the humble pencil connects us more directly to the working process, and perhaps the fleeting nature of these men’s interactions, their daily rituals of labor. This was after the rise of mechanical reproduction. Did that make a difference, or what was valued at that point? Editor: It's interesting to think about how mass-produced images might have influenced what artists chose to depict, and how. Thanks for offering that unique way of thinking about this simple sketch. Curator: My pleasure! By focusing on materiality and labor, we get a glimpse into the economic and social underpinnings of art production and its relationship to daily existence. It is exciting.