Tobias en de engel, Opwekking van Lazarus 1651

Harmen ter Borch created this work, "Tobias en de engel, Opwekking van Lazarus" in 1651, using pen and brown ink, with brush and gray wash. You might think of drawing as preliminary to more substantial work like painting or sculpture. But that is just one way to look at it. The economical, yet expressive nature of line in pen and ink, lends itself beautifully to quick studies, as seen here. The artist has deftly used ink to capture the fall of light and shadow. Notice how Ter Borch used the gray wash technique to create areas of shading, adding depth and volume to the figures. The way that the artist allows the pen to flow freely across the paper, shows that drawing is not just about rendering things, but about a direct physical expression. It can be understood as a distinct form of mark-making, and a way of documenting ideas as they develop, as well as social commentary, all at once. Ter Borch would have had to be highly skilled to create these expressive sketches. The drawing highlights the importance of considering the artist's hand and the active process of creation.