Waldpartie, auf dem Weg zwei Figuren, links oben mehrere Raben 1656

Roelant Roghman made this drawing of a woodland scene with pen and brown ink, heightened with gray wash, sometime in the 17th century. It’s an evocative scene, but the humble materials are key to understanding it. Roghman used brown ink for the initial outlines, carefully delineating the forms of the trees and figures. He then applied the gray wash, a diluted ink, to create tonal variations, depth, and atmospheric perspective. It is this last material, which is a simple mixture of pigment and water, that is doing most of the work here. Applying it skillfully requires close observation and practice, gradually building up the image. The artist had to have a deep understanding of the materials. In his hands, inexpensive materials, like paper and ink, become tools to evoke the splendor and beauty of the natural world. This drawing reminds us that ingenuity, not luxury, is at the heart of art.