Bloeiende boom en een boederij tussen de bomen 1840 - 1845

Johannes Tavenraat made this work, called 'Blooming Tree and a Farm Among the Trees,' with graphite on paper. The texture is light and delicate, and the monochromatic palette emphasizes the forms and outlines of the natural world. Tavenraat used graphite, a readily available material that allows for a range of tones and details. The processes of sketching and drawing are inherently intimate, capturing the artist's direct observations and translating them onto paper. The very act of sketching outdoors connects to the long tradition of landscape painting, which romanticized nature, and the emergence of leisure time and the art market. Tavenraat's delicate execution makes this work a product of both artistic skill and industrial production. Paying attention to materials, and making, we understand more about the social and cultural values of this moment in time.