Wiesenlandschaft mit Bäumen 

Adolf Hoeffler made this landscape drawing with graphite on paper. It appears to be a quick study, a way of capturing a scene for later use in a painting, or just for the pleasure of close observation. Graphite is a humble material, just a form of carbon, but in the 19th century, it became the medium of choice for artists needing to make preparatory sketches and studies. Its qualities of softness, darkness, and ease of erasing made it ideal for this purpose. But look closely, and you’ll see that Hoeffler’s attention to the graphite itself goes far beyond the merely functional. He varies the pressure to give a full range of tonal values, and uses the side of the lead to create broad areas of texture. The finished drawing, though modest, gives a feeling for Hoeffler’s process and for the work involved in landscape observation. And like many such works, it transcends its original purpose and stands as a work of art in its own right, demonstrating that the distinction between “sketch” and “finished work” is not always so clear.