Figuur in een roeiboot en een boom 1848 - 1888

This drawing of a figure in a rowboat with a tree was made by Anton Mauve using graphite on paper. The visible texture of the paper and the marks left by the graphite imbue this work with a sense of immediacy. Mauve is not trying to present us with a finished product, but rather a study, a moment captured. The varying pressure of the graphite creates depth, with darker areas suggesting the density of the tree. The visible marks of the artist’s hand remind us of the labor involved in even the simplest of sketches. In a time of increasing industrialization, such direct engagement with the natural world—recorded by hand, using humble materials—gained particular significance. This artwork blurs the lines between fine art and the more workaday practices of plein air sketching, reminding us of the value in both.