Wilgen en een hek bij een sloot 1880 - 1931

Gerrit van Dokkum made "Wilgen en een hek bij een sloot" with graphite or charcoal; you can see how the marks build up on the page, which is a clue to his artmaking process. The texture is all in the mark-making: see how each tiny stroke makes up the trees and the grasses. The dark lines capture the density of the foliage. The whole scene is cast in a smoky, moody atmosphere, and the use of a limited palette enhances this effect. I’m drawn to the broken-down fence; it leans precariously, a symbol of nature reclaiming human structures. You can almost feel the dampness of the soil and smell the earthy scent of the willows. Looking at this, I'm reminded of other landscape artists like Jacob van Ruisdael, who found beauty in the ordinary. This piece, like much great art, invites us to find depth in simplicity.