Hooioppers in een weiland c. 1909s

This is a double page sketch of field workers by Alexander Shilling. The image, made in pencil, gives us a peek into Shilling’s process. It’s so immediate and raw. The way Shilling attacks the paper is what grabs me. Look at the contrast between the left and right pages. On the right, dark hatching builds up a wall, or perhaps it’s a hedgerow bordering a field, while the left is barely there, just ghostly figures bent to their labour. I love how the light barely suggests the presence of the workers, while the wall on the right feels solid, earthy, and present. This pairing reminds me of the dialogue between foreground and background, presence and absence. It's like Shilling is asking, what is seen and what is unseen? It's a question artists have grappled with forever. It’s a reminder that art is always an open question.