Holländische Landschaft mit Rinderherde und Fuhrkarren 

Here we see a watercolour drawing of a Dutch landscape by Abraham van Strij. It is currently kept at the Städel Museum. The composition guides the viewer’s eye along a rising diagonal, from the lower left, where cows graze by the roadside, up to a carriage at the horizon. Van Strij uses washes of grey and pale brown to create depth and recession. The sky, rendered with broad strokes, mirrors the tones of the earth, creating a harmonious but muted palette. This quiet tonality evokes a sense of calm and pastoral simplicity. The artist's subtle treatment of light and atmospheric perspective invite a closer look. Van Strij isn't merely representing a scene, but engaging with ideas about landscape and the picturesque. This is a period of art grappling with new ways of seeing and representing the natural world. Consider how the artist uses composition and tonality to create not just a picture but a perspective—a way of looking at the world that is both intimate and expansive.