Monnickendam 1910

James McBey sketched "Monnickendam" using watercolor and ink, offering us a glimpse into a breezy waterside scene. The composition unfolds with the horizon neatly dividing the paper, creating distinct realms of sky and land. The loose brushstrokes and diluted colors evoke a sense of openness and atmospheric lightness. McBey uses the structural elements of this landscape to question our perception of space and distance. The way he reduces the town into simple, almost childlike shapes challenges traditional representation. What is usually clearly defined is obscured by abstraction, inviting us to reconsider our habitual ways of viewing and understanding. The subtle flattening of perspective suggests a move towards modern modes of seeing, where depth and dimension are flattened to emphasize the picture plane. The function of this is to encourage us to question traditional modes of representation and to look beyond superficial appearances, engaging with the work on a more conceptual and interpretive level.