Woman pulling a tow rope. verso: sketch of landscape with figures

Art Historical Context

Anton Mauve’s “Woman pulling a tow rope” captures a moment of quiet labor in a compact graphite and black-chalk drawing measuring just over six by four inches. Created in the mid-to-late nineteenth century, the sheet records a woman leaning into the weight of a rope, her figure rendered with economical yet expressive lines that convey both physical effort and steady movement. On the verso, a lighter landscape sketch with figures suggests Mauve worked quickly, using the same sheet to note passing scenes. The choice of humble drawing materials allowed the artist to study everyday subjects with directness and spontaneity. Such works often served as preparatory studies for larger compositions, reflecting the period’s interest in rural life and the dignity of ordinary work. The presence of a female figure engaged in towing—likely along a Dutch canal—underscores themes of resilience and communal labor common in nineteenth-century European imagery. Now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection through the 1929 gift of Mary W. Tweed, this intimate drawing invites viewers to appreciate the artist’s attentive observation of human activity within the natural landscape. Its modest scale rewards close looking, revealing the subtle textures Mauve achieved with simple strokes of graphite and chalk.

About the Artist

Anton Mauve · 1838–1888

Anton Mauve (1838–1888), born Anthonij Rudolf Mauve in Zaandam, Netherlands, hailed from a family of North Holland clergymen. At age 16, he apprenticed under animal painter Pieter Frederik van Os in Haarlem, mastering depictions of livestock, before studying briefly with Wouterus Verschuur, whose equine subjects instilled a lifelong affinity for horses. He honed his plein air technique alongside P...