De Seine buiten de stad 1773 - 1843

Georges Michel created this pencil drawing, *De Seine buiten de stad*, to capture a scene of everyday life. Pencil drawings are interesting because they require the direct action of the artist's hand, making the artwork immediate. The grainy texture of the paper support adds another layer to the work's material presence, almost like a light mist that covers the scene. Michel was a landscape painter, and here the landscape is presented as a site of labor, with the figures in the foreground seemingly at work. The drawing style almost captures a sense of the people being at work on the land. Although it is a sketch, it possesses an atmosphere that speaks to the social context of labor. By focusing on these aspects of the drawing, we can move beyond the traditional notions of landscape painting and understand the artwork as a reflection of the relationship between people and their environment.