Winterlandschap met figuren op een bevroren vaart 1827

Andreas Schelfhout created this "Winter Landscape with Figures on a Frozen Canal" drawing with graphite on paper. The composition is structured around the stark contrast between the intricate details of the bare trees in the middle ground and the open expanse of the frozen canal, suggesting depth and distance. The figures scattered across the ice add a sense of scale and human presence. Notice how Schelfhout uses the graphite to create texture, particularly in the trees and the rough ice surface. This attention to material detail not only enriches the visual experience but also draws attention to the constructed nature of representation, a key aspect of formalism. The drawing’s structure, seemingly simple, engages with broader questions about perception and representation. It reminds us that art is not a mere reflection of reality but a constructed interpretation, inviting us to question the nature of seeing itself.