Landschap met bomen 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve created this landscape drawing with pencil, likely en plein air. The sketch presents a simplified, almost abstract, view of nature where dark horizontal lines dominate the composition, suggesting a flat horizon. Vertical strokes to the left could indicate trees, giving us a skeletal framework of a landscape. Mauve’s quick, expressive lines serve to flatten the image, challenging traditional perspective. The materiality of the pencil on paper is not just a medium but a vital element, rendering depth through variation in line weight and density. The stark contrast between the dark lines and the blank paper creates a semiotic interplay where less represents more. This reduction to fundamental forms—lines, shape, and contrast—echoes a broader shift in art towards abstraction and conceptual representation, where the essence of form replaces detailed mimicry.