Vinblade 1872

P.C. Skovgaard made this pencil drawing of vine leaves in 1872. It's a simple sketch, made with graphite on paper, almost certainly in a small notebook right in front of the plant itself. The drawing is a quick study, a record of observation. The artist seems to have captured the essence of each leaf and branch with economical lines, paying attention to the way light falls on the foliage. Graphite, in its powdery darkness, lends itself to capturing transient effects like this. Consider the working conditions that enabled Skovgaard to make this drawing. In the 19th century, artists had ready access to industrially produced pencils and paper. This small drawing embodies the democratization of art-making in the modern era, and reminds us that even the most seemingly effortless sketch is enabled by the infrastructures of production. It’s a reminder that all art emerges from somewhere, and depends on a whole support structure.