Rij plattelandswoningen Possibly 1913 - 1917

Alexander Shilling made this drawing, 'Row of Rural Houses', with what looks like graphite or charcoal on paper. The lines are quick, almost like he's trying to catch a fleeting thought. The way he renders the roofs, it’s all about capturing the essence, not perfection, you know? It's like a visual shorthand. Looking at the marks, you can almost feel the scratch of the graphite on the page. There's a real sense of immediacy, especially in the way he's roughed out the foliage around the houses. See how the lines vary in thickness and pressure? That chimney on the right is just a few quick strokes, but it totally works. It’s the kind of drawing you might do in your sketchbook, not worrying about the outcome, just enjoying the process. It reminds me a bit of some of Guston’s later, more pared-down drawings, where the line is everything. It’s like Shilling is saying, "Here's what I saw, take it or leave it." Art is always this ongoing conversation.