Figuren op een stenen bruggetje

Jan van Goyen made this drawing of figures on a stone bridge with graphite on paper. Graphite, at the time, was a relatively new material with unique qualities. Consider the ways van Goyen has leveraged graphite's qualities to describe texture, weight, and form. See how its softness allows him to make marks ranging from barely-there to dark and deliberate. Observe how van Goyen uses lines to depict people of different classes. The lines vary between dense and sparse, and each variation contributes to its social meaning, telling stories of work, leisure, and everyday life. Paying attention to these materials and processes enables us to appreciate not only the artist’s skill, but also how the making of this drawing is deeply intertwined with its social and cultural context.