Perspectief van drie figuren Possibly 1770 - 1808

Curator: The "Perspective of Three Figures," possibly created between 1770 and 1808 by Jan Brandes, rendered in pencil and colored pencil on paper. I’m immediately drawn to its raw quality, especially the quick, almost industrial way it seems to have been put down, do you see it too? Editor: Yes, there's something very immediate about it, not precious at all. What do you see in this drawing beyond the simple depictions of the elephant forms? Curator: Let's consider Brandes’s practice. As a draughtsman during this era, paper was becoming more industrialized, so was this type of depiction also more economical? I look at the visible labor: the quick lines, the under-drawing showing, the notes hastily scribbled across the page...This hints at a context where efficiency and dissemination of knowledge, even of the exotic, become paramount, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Absolutely. So, rather than appreciating it solely for its aesthetic qualities or as a "high art" portrait of the animal, we should examine the materials and their efficient use and how that was intertwined with the burgeoning scientific illustration market at the time. Curator: Precisely. What kind of labor went into producing the pencils, colored pencils and paper, who had access to them? Were these tools, too, shaping Brandes's practice? This shifts our gaze away from pure aesthetics and highlights the processes of artistic creation embedded within the societal landscape. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't fully considered – that the availability and industrial production of the drawing materials themselves deeply influence the style and purpose of the art. Curator: Indeed. Examining the socio-economic conditions surrounding the creation helps us appreciate the drawing beyond the surface level. We need to go deeper into materials and tools and their manufacturing context! Editor: I definitely see this artwork with new eyes, now considering its materials and modes of production to be key to unlocking its true purpose and value.