Hooistapel c. 1909s

This is a sketchbook page by Alexander Shilling, created sometime between 1859 and 1937. On the left, we see a haystack rendered with diagonal strokes that evoke volume and shadow. And on the right, a simple outline of what appears to be a person seated, with trees in the background. Shilling, born in America but trained in Munich, spent much of his career capturing European landscapes. Yet, looking closely, the rapid, almost nervous energy of the lines, it's hard not to feel the tension of an artist caught between worlds. Consider the haystack, a symbol of rural life. Does Shilling idealize it, or is there a sense of distance, of observing a culture to which he doesn't fully belong? The seated figure, isolated and alone, perhaps reflects Shilling's own feelings of displacement. This work is a subtle exploration of identity and belonging, sketched in the fleeting moments of an artist's journey.