Landskab med hus 1902 - 1905

Editor: Here we have "Landskab med hus," or "Landscape with House," a pencil drawing by Albert Gottschalk, made sometime between 1902 and 1905. It has an almost ethereal quality to it because of its soft grays. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a study in labor and materiality. Gottschalk's choice of pencil, a readily available and relatively inexpensive tool, speaks to the democratization of art production. How does the use of pencil as opposed to, say, oils, influence our perception of this work as perhaps a preparatory sketch, a moment in a larger artistic process? Editor: That's an interesting point! I hadn’t considered the economic implications of the materials themselves. Does the subject matter then, of a modest house and landscape, reinforce this idea of accessibility? Curator: Precisely. The landscape, seemingly unpopulated, focuses our attention on the structure. What kind of labor do you think went into constructing that house, and how does Gottschalk's rendering, in such a modest medium, speak to that labor? Consider the societal position of those who would have built and inhabited such a dwelling. Editor: It makes me think of the physical labor – the carpentry, the hauling of materials. It feels disconnected from high society. Perhaps it shows labor as its own reward? Curator: The sketch's quietness is deceptive. It invites us to consider the usually unseen labor involved in shaping our environment and prompts questions about social class and accessibility to both artistic creation and the physical space being depicted. What have we left unseen? Editor: I never would have considered the social implications of a humble pencil sketch of a house! This definitely changed my perception of the art-making process. Curator: Absolutely. Materiality always informs the meaning. Considering these social and economic conditions brings this artwork and artistic labour into sharper focus.