Lopend paar 1849 - 1917

Editor: Here we have Matthijs Maris’s "Lopend paar," created sometime between 1849 and 1917. It's a pencil drawing on paper. There's a sense of movement, but also something ghostly and unfinished. What strikes you about it? Curator: What's most interesting here is the process, really. Look at the density of the pencil strokes. The labor is evident; it is not hidden. Maris uses a humble material—pencil on paper—but pushes it. Do you think that labor is traditionally considered a part of "high art?" Editor: Probably not... so you're suggesting he’s elevating something that's usually seen as preliminary, or even invisible, to the status of art itself? Curator: Precisely! The very visible construction challenges the traditional hierarchy. It compels us to consider the *making* of art. He isn’t interested in obscuring the means. This work displays the decisions and revisions typical of a preliminary study, something meant for private exploration, not public consumption. Editor: So by displaying these normally unseen stages, Maris questions what gets valued? Curator: Exactly. We often focus on the finished product and its aesthetic qualities, but what about the sweat and the hours spent? Consider the paper itself—cheap and readily available. Its grid structure, barely visible, also points toward a working material. It removes a certain sense of artistry. How does this visible support structure change the viewer's expectation of the artwork? Editor: I never really thought of it, but it does take away a layer of... mystique, maybe? It's much more accessible in a way. Thanks! I will consider materiality as much as theme from now on! Curator: It opens up new avenues for understanding and appreciating art, doesn't it? Always keep those social, historical, and material elements in mind.