Vadertje Tijd met een zeis in een landschap c. 1854 - 1887

Alexander Ver Huell made this pen and watercolour drawing, “Father Time with a scythe in a landscape,” sometime in the 19th century. Look closely, and you will see it is primarily lines and washes. The artist built up the image using thin strokes of pen, defining Father Time’s gaunt features and the rough texture of his cloak. The delicate application of watercolor adds a ghostly quality, especially in the rendering of Father Time himself. The method mirrors the message: time's relentless, unavoidable passage. The imagery is traditional – a skeletal Father Time, an hourglass, a scythe – but the drawing style is highly individual. Pen and watercolour are intimate media; this work suggests not a grand proclamation about mortality, but a personal meditation. The labour of the artist is quite visible in the image, but it is a labour of thought and feeling. By paying close attention to the making process, we realize that art need not be monumental to be meaningful.