Landschap met bomen en een molen c. 1909s

This is Alexander Shilling's 'Landschap met bomen en een molen', a landscape with trees and a mill, sketched in pencil on paper. Shilling came from a time where the identity of places was increasingly significant. As industrialization transformed European landscapes, artists often turned to rural scenes, perhaps longing for a connection to the past. The windmill, a symbol of human interaction with nature, becomes a focal point. It suggests a narrative of both progress and a changing relationship with the environment. Note how the softness of the pencil lends itself to a gentle, almost nostalgic interpretation. Instead of presenting a grandiose statement, the sketch captures the subtlety of a fleeting moment. This reflects an intimate dialogue between the artist and the land, a quest to preserve the cultural and personal significance of familiar environments.