Kippen 1834 - 1906

Maria Vos made this drawing called 'Kippen' using graphite on paper. The immediacy of graphite lends itself to quick studies. The artist’s hand is very evident here, as we can see the rapid marks made while trying to capture the figures. While not strictly a craft material, the act of drawing is deeply embedded in the practice of making. Drawing is used as a preliminary sketch, a way of envisioning the final form, and the artist has made many decisions in the process of representing the chickens. The choice to depict fowl is also interesting. Chickens are central to the agricultural landscape, and reflect the labor involved in food production and the wider social context of the food chain. In understanding this drawing, we can think about the relationship between the artwork and the means of production, alongside issues such as labor and class, which are central to the artwork.