Schaap in een landschap met twee bomen 1878 - 1938

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst made this drawing of a sheep in a landscape with ink and graphite. Look at how the marks are built up, layer upon layer, to create this dense, textured surface. For me, the process is really the point. What I find so compelling is the physicality of the medium. The sheep's wool is rendered with such intricate lines, giving it a palpable sense of volume and weight. The way the ink bleeds and pools in certain areas, creating dark, shadowy depths, adds to the emotional resonance of the piece. Note how the trees loom over the landscape, their branches reaching out like grasping fingers. It’s as if the whole scene is alive, breathing with a quiet, mysterious energy. Holst's work reminds me a bit of Paula Modersohn-Becker, another artist who wasn't afraid to embrace the raw, tactile qualities of her materials. Ultimately, art is about this ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time and space.