Gezicht op een landschap met bebouwing c. 1901 - 1927

Johan Antonie de Jonge made this landscape with pencil, at an unknown date, patiently shading and hatching. I'm imagining him outside somewhere, squinting at the scene. There's a calmness about this scene, with a building peeking through the trees. I can imagine the artist standing there, feeling the breeze, trying to capture the stillness of the landscape. It's amazing how much information he's given us with so few tools. Look at the way he's suggested the texture of the grass with just a few strokes of his pencil. You know, artists are always in conversation with each other, even across time. De Jonge's work reminds me of other landscape artists who were trying to capture the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere. Painting is always about trying to figure something out, and sharing that process with the viewer. There's no one right way to see this landscape. It’s an open invitation to look, feel, and imagine.