Buurtje te Veere 1883 - 1940

Johannes Frederik Engelbert ten Klooster made this drawing, "Buurtje te Veere," with ink on paper, and you can almost feel the scratch of the pen across the surface. I love how he uses simple black lines to create a whole world. Look at the way the lines vary in thickness, giving depth and shadow to the buildings and trees. You can see the artist making decisions about what to emphasize, what to leave out. He is carefully observing the scene, but then he’s also interpreting it, adding his own touch. There is a sense of quiet stillness in this image, like a moment captured in time. It makes me think about all the other artists who have tried to capture the essence of a place, from the Impressionists to contemporary landscape painters. We are all in this conversation, trying to make sense of the world through our work.