Planten en grassen bij oude wilgenstammen 1724

Johann Elias Ridinger made this drawing of plants and grasses near old willow trunks with pen and brown ink, around the mid-18th century. The brown ink captures the subtle details of the landscape, with fine lines creating the textures of bark, leaves, and grass. The artist's skilled hand brings life to the scene through a combination of hatching and cross-hatching. This is a traditional drawing material, with a social history that's linked to literacy, religion, and science. Ridinger would have engaged with well-established traditions and aesthetic practices, as well as knowledge of draftsmanship and the ability to translate three-dimensional forms onto a two-dimensional surface. Note that his work required precision and control, and its production would have been a time-consuming process. The artwork, made with such care, invites us to reconsider the traditional separation between art and craft.