Hooiberg bij een schuur en een ruiter op een pad te Ravenstein 1905 - 1909

This landscape sketch of a haystack, barn, and horse rider was rendered by Willem Cornelis Rip using graphite on paper. There’s a beautiful immediacy to it – you can sense the artist capturing a fleeting moment. The marks are wonderfully economical, with simple strokes defining form and texture. Look at how Rip uses hatching to create the impression of volume in the haystack, or the loose, scribbled lines that suggest the foliage of the trees. It’s all about the process of seeing and responding, not getting bogged down in detail. The overall effect is a kind of quiet poetry, a meditation on the beauty of the everyday. It reminds me of some of the landscape drawings of Van Gogh, especially in its sensitivity to light and atmosphere. Both artists share that ability to find profound beauty in the ordinary. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art is not about answers, but about asking questions and staying open to the possibilities of seeing.