Sketch of Two Seated Women with Young Girl Sitting at Their Feet; Verso: Sketch of a Woman 1830 - 1886

Editor: This is Charles Baugniet's "Sketch of Two Seated Women with Young Girl Sitting at Their Feet," made sometime between 1830 and 1886. It's a delicate drawing using pencil and ink. The sketched, unfinished nature makes me think about process. What do you notice about the making of this drawing? Curator: Immediately, I'm struck by the contrast between the apparent intimacy of the scene and the artist's distanced observation. The rapid lines, the visible process of layering and correction... it all speaks to a working method deeply embedded in a specific social and economic context. Editor: Can you expand on that? Curator: Consider the material reality: inexpensive paper, readily available pencils and ink. These weren't luxury goods, and their use suggests an accessibility to image-making that resonates with Realist concerns. It emphasizes a break from academic techniques and a turn towards the everyday. It speaks to the evolving role of the artist and the accessibility of the artistic means of production. How does that initial “sketch” title play into this understanding of artistic labor? Editor: That makes me think about the “First Sketch” inscription on the bottom left; does that designation impact the economic or aesthetic value? Curator: Absolutely! It reframes our perception. The raw immediacy challenges conventional notions of the finished product. The inscription positions the work as part of a longer process, one imbued with a working class understanding and use of the artistic production. And the sketch invites us to consider its utility as it relates to class divisions within artistic creation. Editor: So by emphasizing process and materiality, we're not just looking at the finished product, but also the social and economic forces shaping it. Curator: Exactly! It's about dismantling the myth of the solitary genius and recognizing the collaborative labor and material conditions inherent in all artistic creation. Editor: I never considered a sketch as an artistic response to economic class. Thanks! Curator: And I never realized that such a candid piece can say so much about production. It offers insight into the relationship of artist, subject, and the material world that made the art possible.