Sketch for the left half of a rocky landscape 1630 - 1691

Editor: Here we have Lieven Mehus's "Sketch for the left half of a rocky landscape," created sometime between 1630 and 1691. It's a pencil drawing with a somewhat ethereal, unfinished quality. What do you see in this piece from a formalist perspective? Curator: The composition arrests the eye immediately. Note the linear structure – predominantly vertical and diagonal strokes which give the sense of height and instability to the implied rocky structure. Mehus employs hatching and cross-hatching techniques to create tonal variations and define form. This is primarily about line and how line defines space and depth within the picture plane, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Yes, absolutely. The stark contrast between the light and dark areas certainly shapes the form and guides my focus. So it’s about deconstructing the artist’s choices relating to technique, materials, form, and how they coalesce in front of the artwork? Curator: Precisely. Disregarding any narrative content, consider the structural framework. Notice how the arrangement of these strokes either disrupt or emphasize the surface. Is the tension heightened or harmonized through the Baroque technique? Editor: Now that I consider those questions, it certainly shapes my perspective to contemplate just what exists on the picture plane. I've learned a lot! Curator: Likewise, this experience helps reinforce how close visual readings can reshape art's meaning.