Landschap before 1904

Théophile de Bock made this landscape, or ‘landschap’, in pen, or maybe a very fine brush, who knows? It’s all about the line in this drawing; line building up to describe the horizon, the clouds, the trees... I love how de Bock has built up all these tiny marks. I can imagine him repeating the same gesture over and over again, a bit like knitting or weaving. Doesn't it make you wonder, what was de Bock thinking about as he worked? Was he trying to capture the essence of the landscape, or was he simply enjoying the act of drawing itself? These marks feel deeply connected to the artist’s hand and eye, and I get a real sense of de Bock's presence in this work. But it also reminds me that artists are always in conversation with one another, building on the ideas and techniques of those who came before. It’s all one big exchange.