Landschaft mit großen Bäumen, einem Haus und einer Kapelle c. 1612

Jan Brueghel the Elder made this drawing of a landscape with trees, a house, and a chapel with pen and brown ink, and watercolour. The delicacy of the line work is immediately evident. Brueghel’s meticulous process captures the intricate details of the natural world. Look closely and you will see how the pen and ink is used to create a sense of depth and texture, while the delicate washes of watercolour add atmosphere. It’s a complex image, but the artist has allowed its clarity of form and space to come through. Brueghel had a skilled hand, and obviously had extensive knowledge of pigment. The making of pigments would have been a very laborious process during this time period. In some ways, his mastery of these materials and processes elevated the landscape to a level comparable to the more esteemed genre of history painting. It goes to show that close attention to the making process has aesthetic value.