Illustratie bij Goethe's Faust 1828

This illustration of Goethe's Faust presents a celestial scene of angels, seemingly sketched with graphite on paper. The artist, Moritz Retzsch, employs line work, devoid of color, to render forms and suggest depth. The image's process reveals much about its cultural significance, especially when viewed in relation to labor and production. As a method, drawing is immediate and personal, requiring a direct physical engagement. It lacks the industrialized perfection and reproducibility of mass media, and aligns itself with the values of skilled handwork. The softness of the graphite allows for easy corrections, imbuing the artwork with a sense of impermanence. The deliberate incompleteness gives the viewer the opportunity to co-create the image. Understanding the material and process of this artwork highlights how the act of making can imbue social meaning, blurring the boundaries between the fine arts and craft.