Gebouwen te Löbtau 1876 - 1951

Theo Nieuwenhuis made this drawing of buildings in Löbtau with graphite on paper. The marks are tentative, like the artist is feeling around for the form of the buildings, not wanting to commit too soon. I find myself drawn to the way the roof angles are suggested, a series of soft, smudgy lines creating a sense of depth and volume. It's not about getting every detail right, but more about capturing the essence of the place, the way the light hits the buildings, the shadows they cast. You can almost feel the texture of the paper, the give and take between the graphite and the surface. It reminds me a little of the early landscape drawings of Mondrian, before he went all-in on abstraction. Both artists seem to be searching for something beyond the surface, a deeper understanding of form and space. Ultimately, it's a reminder that art is a process, a journey of discovery, rather than a fixed destination.