Duinlandschap met bebouwing 1881 - 1927

Johan Antonie de Jonge created this landscape drawing, ‘Duinlandschap met bebouwing’, using chalk or charcoal. The scene is dominated by the contrast between the dark, textured earth and trees against a pale sky, creating a stark yet subtle interplay of light and shadow. The composition divides the scene into distinct horizontal bands, guiding the eye from foreground to background, culminating in the soft gradation of the sky. The artist's application of the medium, through short, expressive strokes, endows the landscape with a sense of movement. The use of shading and line work constructs a visual language that invites an interpretation of nature, not merely as a physical space but as a matrix of forms and forces. It reflects a broader artistic concern with capturing the essence of a scene through abstraction and simplification. This approach can be understood as an early investigation into modern modes of representation. The drawing's structure is less about replicating reality and more about presenting an interpretation of the landscape through a carefully constructed arrangement of tones and textures.