Meisje, leunend op een balustrade 1847 - 1899

Jacob Maris created this drawing of a girl leaning on a balustrade with graphite on paper. Graphite, at its core, is pure carbon, the same element that forms diamonds and, conversely, the soot left behind by a fire. Here, Maris coaxes an image from the tension between darkness and light using line work that varies in pressure and direction, creating an image that feels both complete and ambiguous. The soft grey of the graphite creates a sense of atmospheric perspective, suggesting depth and distance despite the small scale of the drawing. The visible strokes remind us of the artist’s hand, and the directness of the medium lends the work a sense of immediacy. It is this very intimacy and apparent ease that can lead us to overlook the skill involved. Pencil drawings like this were often made as preparatory sketches, but by bringing our attention to such ‘minor’ works, we can appreciate the level of artistry involved in all stages of production.