Kudde schapen in een landschap met bomen 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve made this landscape sketch of sheep and trees using graphite on paper, sometime before 1888. The immediacy of the graphite medium lends itself to capturing fleeting moments in nature. Mauve’s marks are economical, almost shorthand. Notice the texture of the paper itself, which is visible through the drawing. The tooth of the page grabs the graphite, creating a broken, almost flickering effect. This allows Mauve to suggest light and shadow with a minimum of strokes. Although seemingly simple, the drawing reflects a deliberate approach to both observation and mark-making. It's clear that the artist was interested in the landscape and pastoral life, which were undergoing massive change in the late 19th century. By using such direct means, Mauve invites us to consider the relationship between the natural world and the increasingly industrialized world around him. This little sketch offers a potent meditation on place, labor, and the artist’s own hand.