Plaats aan de Starnberger See 1922

Henri Braakensiek made this drawing of a place on the Starnberger See, likely in 1922. Look at the bottom half of the paper, and imagine the scratching and hatching of pencil that build up the landscape and lake. I like to think about what the artist might have been thinking as they made it. Perhaps he was interested in the relationship between line and tone, between mark-making and seeing the world. It seems the drawing emerges through layers of subtle adjustments. You can almost see the artist’s hand moving, adding depth and volume to the landscape. Think about the relationship between this drawing and the work of other artists who have explored landscape, like Cezanne. This drawing embodies the ongoing conversation between artists across time, inspiring new ways of seeing and thinking about the world. It reminds us that painting is a constant exploration of the ways we perceive and interpret the world around us.