Hooioppers en bomen c. 1909s

Alexander Shilling made this sketch of haystacks and trees using graphite on paper. Rather than deploying this humble material for highly refined realism, Shilling uses a shorthand of lines and hatching to capture light and shadow. This approach is rooted in the immediacy of working en plein air, and the need to quickly capture the fleeting effects of nature. Note the weight of the artist’s hand, particularly on the right-hand page, where the dense accumulation of graphite suggests a degree of intensity, even urgency. Yet the sketch also has an undeniable elegance. This is due in part to the artist's decision to leave much of the page blank, allowing the whiteness of the paper to function as a compositional element. The artist has made a virtue of necessity, elevating the field sketch into a work of art. By paying attention to the materials, techniques, and context of this drawing, we can appreciate its full significance and the importance of craft and design.