Landschap met bomen 1874 - 1875

Willem Cornelis Rip created "Landschap met bomen," or "Landscape with Trees," using graphite on paper. Rip was a Dutch artist who lived through a time of significant social change, with industrialization and urbanization rapidly transforming the Dutch landscape and society. In this simple landscape sketch, Rip directs our gaze to the quiet dignity of nature. You can almost feel the solitude of the artist sketching en plein air, finding solace in the trees. Rip does not adhere to the traditional, romanticized landscapes that were popular at the time. Rather, there's an honesty in the roughness of the sketch that provides a glimpse into the artist's direct experience of the scene. This drawing is intimate and personal; it feels like a quiet conversation between the artist and nature. Through its unassuming composition, this work invites us to consider our relationship with the environment and the simple beauty that surrounds us, if we only take a moment to pause and look.