Eine spinnende Frau, eine weitere sitzende Fau in Rückansicht sowie ein beladener Esel, neben ihm der schlafende Treiber 

Karel Dujardin made this drawing of women and a donkey using pen and brown ink, with a grey wash. The artist has created these figures using rapid strokes, capturing the textures of cloth with the barest of means. In the 17th century, the Dutch Republic was the heartland of mercantile capitalism. We see this context reflected even in a sketch like this. The woman spinning is literally engaged in the production of textiles, which were a major commodity at the time. Even the donkey, a beast of burden, is implicated in the movement of goods from place to place. There is nothing particularly refined or precious about this drawing, and yet Dujardin clearly had a sophisticated understanding of materials and processes, and how to make them speak. It's a reminder that art is always connected to the broader world of making.