Large wooden barn between Grund and Gstaad, in the Berner Oberland, Switzerland 1980

Hubertine Heijermans made this watercolor of a barn near Gstaad, Switzerland. Look closely, and you can see that it is painted with close attention to the materiality of the building itself. Heijermans has rendered the weathered wood with a dry brush, so that the grain shows through, evoking the feeling of rough-hewn timber. The red tiles of the roof are carefully depicted, layering tones and shapes to convey the roof’s complex texture. The barn's solid construction stands as a testament to vernacular architecture and the labor-intensive techniques required to create a building that withstands the elements. What is remarkable here is the contrast between this honest labor, and the more elite milieu of Gstaad. Heijermans seems interested in the barn as a symbol of the region’s history of agricultural labor. By depicting it with such care, she invites us to consider the value of traditional craftsmanship and its place in the context of a changing landscape.