Interieur van een huiskamer 1851 - 1902

This drawing of a living room interior was made by Carel Nicolaas Storm van 's-Gravesande, most likely near the turn of the 20th century. It’s done in graphite, a humble material, but one capable of great subtlety, as we see here. The artist coaxes out a full range of tones, from the deep shadows in the corners to the light filtering in through the open doorway. Note how the drawing method itself emphasizes the material qualities of the room. The wood of the furniture, the plaster of the walls, even the glass of the chandelier – all are rendered with an attentiveness to texture. There's a clear contrast with the labor-intensive craftsmanship of earlier periods; here, the artist captures a bourgeois interior in just a few strokes, suggesting a shift towards efficiency and the democratization of art. Graphite, readily available and easily applied, was the perfect medium to do just that.