Duinlandschap 1881 - 1927

This is Johan Antonie de Jonge’s pencil sketch, "Duinlandschap.” De Jonge was working during a period of significant social and artistic change. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the rise of various modernist movements, but also the continuation of traditional artistic practices in the Netherlands. In this sketch, the landscape is filled with de Jonge’s annotations on his observations of the natural world. Through notes like 'silver poplar' and 'dunes in the distance' he merges the act of seeing with the act of knowing. What does it mean to categorize and name our observations? How does language define our relation to the earth? De Jonge’s intimate annotations transform a simple landscape sketch into a personal, almost diaristic reflection on the act of perception. As we look, we are invited to consider how we, too, make sense of our surroundings through language and experience.