Molen en een schuur in een weiland 1854 - 1868

This sketch, "Molen en een schuur in een weiland" made by Johannes Tavenraat, presents us with a landscape distilled to its barest essence through line and form. The immediate impression is one of sparseness, emphasized by the skeletal windmill dominating the composition. The windmill and barn are not depicted in faithful detail, but rather as a series of lines that suggest form and volume. Tavenraat plays with our perception by using line to create depth, but also by flattening the image, pushing against traditional perspectival space. The lack of tonal variation further contributes to this effect, turning the landscape into a study of line and structure. In its deliberate simplicity, the drawing challenges our expectations of landscape art. This isn’t about capturing the picturesque, but about exploring how little is needed to convey space and form. Tavenraat invites us to see the underlying structures that shape our perception of the world.