Landschap met twee huizen c. 1886 - 1888

Anton Mauve created this landscape with two houses using graphite on paper. The pencil lines capture the essence of the buildings and the surrounding landscape, and in this sense, Mauve uses the landscape to show his own hand. The very visible marks and smudges reveal the energy of the artist's movements and the choices he made in the creative process. The work invites us to appreciate the inherent qualities of graphite as a medium, its softness and ability to create subtle gradations of tone. Drawings like this were often studies for larger paintings, so we see him working out his ideas here. While it may look simple, this work engages with a long tradition of landscape art. By emphasizing the materiality of graphite and the act of drawing itself, Mauve reminds us to see the value in simple materials and actions. In doing so, he challenges the conventional distinction between fine art and craft.