Gezicht op een vijver met twee zwanen 1907 - 1909

Simon Moulijn made this drawing of a pond with two swans, and the way he’s captured the reflection in the water is so clever. I love how he’s handled the trees: they are so still, so present. You can feel the quietness of the place, a kind of peacefulness. It’s like he’s inviting you into the scene. The reflection in the water blurs the distinction between the real and the mirrored, which really tickles the eye. It makes you think about other artists who were also doing this kind of work – trying to capture a moment, to see and describe nature, using a limited palette. I imagine Moulijn was thinking about them, too, as he worked, part of a long conversation across time.