Weg naar de stad; geheel links één van de Barrières 1773 - 1843

This drawing, "Weg naar de stad," was created by Georges Michel using graphite. At first glance, the composition feels sparse, almost minimalist, yet the long road draws your eye into the distance, to the town that sits on the horizon. Michel organizes the scene into distinct horizontal zones. The land rises to meet the sky, and our eye is encouraged to move from the bottom to the top, yet we are repeatedly interrupted by the deep furrows and ruts in the ground. These lines are set in stark relief to the smooth flatness of the paper, creating a sort of visual friction. Michel plays with the viewers’ perception through scale and perspective. He suggests a vast, open space, but this is contradicted by the small format of the drawing itself. He creates not just a visual landscape, but a mental space for contemplation. The simplicity of the work encourages us to reflect on our relationship with our environment.