Landschap met figuren in een roeiboot op een rivier c. 1825 - 1829

Editor: We're looking at "Landschap met figuren in een roeiboot op een rivier," or "Landscape with Figures in a Rowboat on a River," by Andreas Schelfhout, a pencil drawing from around 1825 to 1829. It's currently held at the Rijksmuseum. The drawing has a hazy, almost dreamlike quality because it’s quite soft...what do you make of this landscape? Curator: It whispers, doesn't it? Like a memory half-forgotten. I see a world observed in quiet contemplation, that sketchy boat almost hidden amongst the trees. This drawing seems less about the place itself and more about capturing a fleeting feeling. What kind of stories do you imagine are contained within the moment this image depicts? Editor: I imagine it could have been just a nice moment for someone who loves boats, or a memory to them? What I mean, could it also be a message about bigger themes like journeys and discoveries and stuff? Curator: It might be! This piece may well show Schelfhout figuring out landscape and composition; in essence, each stroke tells a journey. Don't you think the rough style invites a viewer to be part of Schelfhout's practice? Editor: I can see that for sure. Seeing all the marks on the paper almost makes it feel unfinished, or like you could dive right into it and add more lines of your own, maybe more characters in the rowboat! Thanks, that was awesome. Curator: Indeed! A landscape less observed and more… experienced! Food for the creative soul, certainly.