Vervallen bouwwerken in een landschap 1653

Harmen ter Borch created "Vervallen bouwwerken in een landschap" – or "Dilapidated Buildings in a Landscape" – using graphite on paper sometime in the 17th century. The image is loosely sketched, with thin lines and shading indicating crumbling structures in a rural setting. While graphite is a relatively simple material, the way Ter Borch uses it here imbues the scene with a particular sense of transience. See how he uses layers and varied pressure to give the ruin a sense of depth? The choice of graphite, easily smudged and erased, mirrors the precarious nature of the buildings themselves. There's also a social context embedded here. Ruins often serve as a reminder of time’s passage, and the impermanence of human endeavors. Consider the labor that went into creating these buildings, only to be left in decay. Ter Borch invites us to reflect on the material reality of human existence and how that can be represented through a few lines on paper.