Lege roeiboot op een plas 1895

This graphite sketch of a rowing boat on a pond was made by Willem Cornelis Rip in the late 19th or early 20th century. The artist has captured the scene with simple marks on paper. Rip has made use of the inherent qualities of graphite to give shape to the waterside. The marks are applied in different densities across the paper to depict the reflections and still water of the pond. Notice how the rough texture of the paper creates an illusion of light, imbuing the artwork with visual depth. Rip was working within a tradition of landscape drawing and painting, which was greatly expanded in the 19th century due to the emergence of mass-produced art materials, making art more accessible to the middle classes. Here, Rip applies these humble materials to observe the world around him. Paying attention to materials, modes of production, and the social context encourages a broader understanding of creative practices. It allows us to question traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.