Gezicht op Woensdrecht c. 1909s

Alexander Shilling made this pencil sketch called "Gezicht op Woensdrecht" sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. I can imagine Shilling outside with a sketchbook propped up on his knee trying to capture the essence of what he saw! A couple of scribbled, spare landscape scenes rendered in pencil across a double page. On the left, a light and feathery patch of blue-grey marks suggest trees. On the right, a darker, more confident hand sketches buildings. It makes me think about the relationship between seeing and drawing, like, what does he want to remember about this place? This reminds me of some of Guston’s late drawings, where he started to embrace a more raw, immediate, and personal style. I think Shilling is onto something here. It reminds us that art can be found in the everyday. It's about showing up and connecting with the world, and I find that really inspiring.