Landscape with Resting Cavaliers and a Shepherd with his Flock 1728 - 1793

Editor: This drawing by Nicolaas Aartman, "Landscape with Resting Cavaliers and a Shepherd with his Flock," was created sometime between 1728 and 1793. I find it very tranquil and picturesque. The soft pencil and wash create a sense of depth and gentle light. What strikes you about this work? Curator: Considering this work, I am particularly interested in the materials Aartman employed – the pencil and wash – and how they connect to broader artistic production norms of his era. Drawing was often considered a preliminary step. Does Aartman elevate drawing as a medium in its own right here, suggesting a changing perception of artistic labor? Editor: That’s an interesting perspective. I hadn't considered how the medium itself might be making a statement. Do you mean by choosing drawing instead of a painting he was somehow making a commentary? Curator: Precisely! How does the relatively “cheap” or “accessible” medium affect the overall value and reception of the artwork? Was he challenging the hierarchy between finished paintings and preparatory sketches, especially when representing these resting cavaliers and the laboring shepherd? Editor: So, you’re suggesting the *choice* of pencil and wash brings attention to the process of art-making, the artist's labor, and perhaps even the economics of art production in 18th-century Netherlands. It’s more than just a pretty picture; it is revealing a hierarchy between subjects too? Curator: Yes, I think that examining the social context of the work and the materials utilized highlights potential subversions or affirmations of the period's established order and traditional art categories. Aartman provides a scene, and a perspective. Editor: I see what you mean now. I will have to look into it more. Thank you for sharing. I hadn't thought about this artwork in this way before.