Houten huis aan de voet van een berg c. 1871 - 1878

This sketch of a wooden house at the foot of a mountain was created by Maria Vos. It's made with graphite on paper. The softness of the graphite allows for delicate gradations in tone, capturing the play of light and shadow on the house and surrounding landscape. Graphite, a readily available material, lends itself to quick, on-the-spot sketches like this, suggesting a direct, intimate engagement with the scene. The rapid, gestural lines convey a sense of immediacy, as if Vos were trying to capture the essence of the moment before it slipped away. The use of a common material like graphite emphasizes the accessibility of art-making. It also removes the preciousness from the art object, and places the emphasis firmly on the act of seeing and recording. The sketch invites us to consider the labor involved in both the creation of the drawing and the construction of the house itself.