August 1772

Editor: So, this is "August," a coloured pencil drawing made in 1772 by Hendrik Meijer. It strikes me as a kind of idealized Dutch landscape, but with a bustling, almost chaotic energy. What grabs your attention when you look at this piece? Curator: It's funny you say chaotic – because initially I found it incredibly peaceful, that kind of end-of-summer, golden light sort of feel, you know? Maybe the apparent "chaos" is just everyday life, captured in all its messy glory. But the windmill dominates. Makes you wonder if Meijer was interested in the contrast between the natural, agrarian world and early industry. Does that windmill seem a little menacing? Editor: Menacing? I hadn't really thought of it that way, I was focused on the figures! So, you think the windmill is meant to suggest the coming industrial changes? Curator: It could be. It also has something of the feel of those anatomical drawings from back then, every splinter carefully rendered. How much control could he exert on nature, is what I think Meijer may have wondered. And maybe… I’m overthinking! It could just be a really detailed windmill he happened to fancy. Editor: Ha! Well, even if it's *just* a windmill, thinking about the details he chose to include does give you a totally different perspective. Curator: Absolutely. It reminds us to be cautious about assumptions. Next time I see a landscape, I'm definitely asking, "What's *really* going on here?". Editor: Me too! And to give windmills a second look.