Landschap met bomen en een boerderij c. 1811

This landscape with trees and a farm was drawn by Andreas Schelfhout, sometime between the late 18th and mid-19th century. It is made using graphite on paper, the most humble of artistic materials. Yet look closely. With just a pencil, Schelfhout coaxes out a whole world of tonal variation, atmospheric perspective, and textural contrast. The grainy paper shows through, a reminder of the drawing’s material basis. The artist captures the rough bark of the trees, the dense foliage, and the distant horizon, with a rich economy of marks. The artist's process is not dissimilar from that of a printmaker. This is due to his methodical process with the pencil to create light and shadow. Schelfhout shows that even the simplest materials, when handled with care and skill, can convey complex aesthetic effects. It shows the importance of craft alongside fine arts.