Lokhorst oftewel Oud-Teilingen 1646 - 1650

Roelant Roghman made this drawing of Lokhorst or Oud-Teilingen using graphite on paper sometime in the 17th century. Roghman's choice of graphite as a medium is significant. It’s a material that offers a direct, unmediated connection between the artist's hand and the paper's surface, allowing for a remarkable sensitivity to the material qualities of the castle itself. The softness of graphite allows for subtle gradations of tone, capturing the way light plays across the stone and brick of the building. Look at the variations in line weight used to describe the architecture, from the broad strokes defining the overall form to the delicate hatching that suggests texture and depth. This technique shows a considered engagement with the medium's potential to evoke atmosphere. The drawing shows us not just a building, but also, in the very act of its making, the traces of Roghman’s labor and his vision. It challenges us to think about the act of drawing itself as a form of material engagement.