Gezicht op Dordrecht vanaf het water 1647

Jan van Goyen made this waterside view of Dordrecht using pen and brown ink, with a grey wash on paper. These are traditional materials, yet the speed and efficiency with which they can be deployed meant that van Goyen could produce works like this in great quantity. This economy of means is what gives the drawing its character. Note the bare minimum of marks needed to suggest a windmill, the town’s architecture, and the water itself. Van Goyen was an incredibly prolific artist, and drawings like this were often made in preparation for larger paintings. The techniques he used, from the preparation of the paper to the application of the ink and wash, allowed for relatively quick and efficient production. It’s important to remember that art making has always been tied to economics. Van Goyen’s work, like so many others, reflects the social and economic conditions in which it was made. By appreciating the techniques and materials used, we can better understand the artist’s process, and the wider world that shaped his work.