Fishing boats at the beach 

Rudolf Gudden made this pencil drawing, depicting a man with a donkey, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Pencil, in its essence, is graphite—a naturally occurring form of carbon—mixed with clay and encased in wood. The marks it leaves on paper can range from light and feathery to dark and assertive, depending on the pressure applied. Here, Gudden has skillfully exploited this range to create a sense of depth and volume. Look at how the shading defines the contours of the donkey and the man's clothing. The immediacy of the medium lends itself to capturing fleeting moments, the artist's hand evident in the quick, expressive lines. In this image, the work animal and its handler are sketched with an economy of detail, yet manage to convey the essence of their forms and their relationship to one another. By focusing on the labor of everyday life, Gudden elevates it to something worth observing and recording. It is a reminder that art is not just about grand subjects or elaborate techniques, but also about seeing the beauty and significance in the ordinary.