Bospad 1873 - 1876

Johannes Tavenraat made this sketch, titled "Bospad," sometime in the 19th century using graphite on paper. The quick marks and erasures suggest Tavenraat was working en plein air, capturing the scene before him with immediacy. Graphite, essentially processed carbon, has been a readily available material since the 16th century. Its accessibility allowed artists to create preparatory studies and preliminary sketches like this one. The visible lines, light and dark, reveal the artist's hand, showing the progression of his thought process. Tavenraat built up the composition gradually. You can see the traces of his adjustments. Consider this sketch not just as a precursor to a finished work, but as a record of a specific moment, a fleeting impression captured with simple means. In its unpretentious materiality, "Bospad" offers an intimate glimpse into the artist's creative process.