Studieblad, onder andere met figuren op de Beukelsdijk 1877

This is a graphite sketch titled ‘Studieblad, onder andere met figuren op de Beukelsdijk’, by Willem Cornelis Rip. Rip lived in a time of industrial expansion in the Netherlands, yet this sketch transports us to a rural scene, seemingly untouched by modernity. One side depicts figures with horses near a stark tree. The other shows a path lined with bare trees, suggesting a cold, quiet day. There's an undeniable melancholy in Rip’s choice to highlight the simplicity of rural life during an era defined by rapid change. The sketch offers a window into the lives of those who remained connected to the land, and perhaps speaks to the artist's own longing for a simpler existence. The path on the right appears to lead into the distance, offering an open-ended invitation into the unknown, which mirrors the uncertainty felt by many during this period of transformation.