Studie van een knielende man met schotel 1715 - 1798

Dionys van Nijmegen made this red chalk drawing, "Study of a Kneeling Man with Dish," sometime in the 18th century. Chalk is interesting stuff. It’s basically compressed sedimentary rock, a material that has been ground and refined for use here. The soft, almost crumbly quality of chalk allowed the artist to build up a layered effect through hatching. You can see how the artist captured both the weight of the model's torso, and the drapery around his legs through these economical marks. It is a study, after all, a preparation for something else. Drawings like this were crucial for artists to develop their skills and understanding of form, and a tradeable commodity. It was relatively easy to make and sell drawings, and there was a ready market for them. Think of this drawing as a testament to both the artist's skill and the economic realities of the art world in 18th century Netherlands. Ultimately, material and making are inseparable from the drawing’s meaning.