Landschap met op de voorgrond een boom 1874 - 1925

Jan Veth rendered this landscape with a tree in the foreground using graphite on paper. Notice how the graphite, a relatively humble material, allows for a full range of tonal values, from the solid blacks of the distant treeline to the smudged greys of the open space below. Veth applies various strokes to build up the composition. He uses linear marks to define the tree’s skeletal branches. Broader, more gestural applications model the form of the landscape, resulting in a balance between detail and overall atmospheric effect. In Veth’s time, there was still an academic prejudice against drawing as a medium. Often relegated to the status of a preparatory study, or a pastime for amateurs, here drawing is the end in itself. This elevates the importance of the hand and eye of the artist. Appreciating the directness of the artist's hand and the materiality of simple graphite encourages us to reconsider traditional hierarchies between art and craft, celebrating the skill inherent in the process of drawing.