Scheppende man, naar rechts 1869 - 1941

Johannes Abraham Mondt made this drawing, ‘Scheppende man, naar rechts’, using confident strokes of graphite pencil on paper. I like to imagine Mondt making this piece; the feel of the graphite between his fingers, pressing down to create dark marks, and using a lighter touch to make fainter lines. I reckon he was trying to capture the weight and strain of physical labour and the way the body bends and twists during the act of digging. The marks convey a sense of the figure's energy and effort, as well as the texture of the earth and fabric. When I look at this fella, I think of Courbet and Millet, you know, that mid-19th century focus on the realities of everyday life. Artists are constantly in conversation with each other, riffing on the same ideas, and pushing each other forward.