Boerderijen 1907

Alexander Shilling made this drawing of farmhouses with pencil, probably en plein air in 1907. There's something really intimate about a drawing like this, you know? The soft hatching of the pencil makes it feel like you're right there, feeling the cool air. I love how Shilling uses simple lines to suggest the textures of the thatched roofs and the rough wood of the buildings, like he's reaching out and touching them. Look closely at the way the light seems to catch on the side of the house closest to us, it makes the drawing pop. The trees and hedges are just hinted at; he's not trying to give us the whole picture, just the essence of the place. It reminds me of some of Constable's plein air sketches. Both artists seem interested in capturing a specific moment in time, trying to pin down the atmosphere of a place. It’s not about being perfect, it's about being present.