Wolkenlucht boven een landschap met een molen c. 1862 - 1864

Johannes Tavenraat made this quick sketch in ink on paper, depicting a cloudy sky over a landscape with a windmill, sometime in the 19th century. As a Dutchman, Tavenraat was working within a long tradition of landscape art that tied the nation's identity to its flat, cultivated terrain. But rather than presenting a finished painting, this sketch offers us a glimpse into the artist's working process. The wispy lines and washes of ink suggest a fleeting moment, perhaps capturing a dramatic shift in the weather. The windmill, a symbol of Dutch ingenuity and control over the natural world, is dwarfed by the immensity of the sky. This was a time when artists sketched outdoors to document the changing world around them, feeding the need of the art market. To fully appreciate this work, we can consult the artist's letters, exhibition reviews, and other historical documents to better understand the artistic and social context in which it was made.