Schets van boerenhuizen aan het water 1872 - 1877

Willem de Haas Hemken made this drawing of farmhouses by the water with graphite on paper. Graphite is an interesting material; a form of carbon, it’s the same stuff that diamonds are made of. Yet here, it's used in a humble way, to sketch a commonplace scene. The artist has skillfully rendered the scene, capturing the textures of the buildings, the foliage, and the reflections on the water. Look closely and you can see how Hemken varied the pressure of his pencil to create different values and suggest depth. Drawing has traditionally been seen as a preliminary medium, a way for artists to plan out their ideas before committing to paint or sculpture. However, drawing can also be an end in itself, a way to capture a fleeting moment or to explore a particular subject in detail. In either case, the artist's hand is evident in every line, making this simple sketch a powerful example of the expressive potential of drawing. It reminds us that even the most basic materials can be used to create works of great beauty and meaning.