Huis bij een molen 1905

Willem Cornelis Rip made this pencil drawing, Huis bij een molen, on paper sometime around the late 19th or early 20th century. I love the economy of means here. Rip gets so much atmosphere from such a simple set of marks. Look at how he uses smudges and short, energetic lines to suggest the textures of foliage and buildings, almost like a shorthand for seeing. The layered marks create a sense of depth, while the overall sketchiness keeps it feeling immediate and fresh. It's like he's saying, "Here's a place, but it's also just a bunch of lines." For me, the way Rip builds up the dark areas with repeated strokes is really satisfying. It reminds me a little of some of Klimt’s drawings, though Rip's touch is perhaps a bit lighter, more airy. Ultimately, it's that beautiful balance between representation and abstraction that makes this drawing so compelling.