Landschaft mit antikem Rundturm 

This landscape with an antique rotunda was made with pen and grey ink, by Franz Kobell. Kobell masterfully used the quill to translate what he saw in the world into delicate lines on paper, as well as create an atmospheric wash effect. The choice of pen and ink, rather than more painterly media, demonstrates the artist's deep understanding of draftsmanship. Note the precision required to render the fine details, from the leaves on the trees to the distant mountains. This calls attention to the amount of patient labor involved in the process, rather like craft. While artists like Kobell are often celebrated for their vision, they are also skilled craftspeople. The act of drawing itself becomes a form of embodied knowledge, blending intellectual observation with the skills of hand and eye. So let's appreciate not just what the artist saw, but how he saw it, and what choices he made in the act of translating the world onto paper.