Plaats aan de Starnberger See 1922

Henri Braakensiek made this drawing, Plaats aan de Starnberger See, in 1922, probably on location. The whole thing is rendered in pencil, or maybe charcoal, it’s hard to tell, but it gives a real sense of immediacy. I love the way the marks build up to create the landscape. Notice how the horizontal lines of the water contrast with the more gestural marks used for the town and hills. It feels like Braakensiek is using the pencil to feel his way through the scene, capturing the light and texture of the place. The drawing really embodies the idea of artmaking as a process, a journey of discovery. The varying densities of the marks create a real sense of depth and atmosphere, with the darker areas suggesting shadows and the lighter areas capturing the bright light on the water. This piece reminds me of some of the early landscape drawings of Van Gogh, where he’s also using mark-making to capture the energy and feeling of a place. It shows how artists across time are in conversation with each other, exploring different ways of seeing and representing the world.