Hay Wagon and Horses 

David Cox sketched this Hay Wagon and Horses in pencil. The composition is dominated by the linearity of the horses, wagon, and hay. The lines, though sketchy, define the forms with a deceptive simplicity, evoking a sense of rural life. The artist uses swift, broken lines to depict the subjects. This technique captures the movement and energy of the scene, suggesting the transient nature of the moment. Here, Cox challenges traditional notions of finish and detail. The incompleteness invites us to complete the image in our minds. This approach aligns with broader artistic concerns of the time, particularly the shift towards valuing the process and the artist's subjective experience over precise representation. The sketch destabilizes the conventional hierarchy between a finished artwork and a preliminary study. It asks us to reconsider the value and meaning we assign to different stages of artistic creation. This quality transforms what could be a simple study into a profound meditation on the act of seeing and drawing.