Southern Landscape with Figures and Cattle at a River 1686

Jan van der Meer the Younger created this drawing of a Southern Landscape with Figures and Cattle at a River with pen and brown ink, and gray wash. Notice how the composition is structured around a diagonal line, extending from the lower left foreground to the upper right distance. The light gray wash creates a sense of depth, almost like atmospheric perspective, where forms become less distinct as they recede into the background. In the foreground, figures and cattle are rendered with delicate pen strokes, while in the distance, architectural forms add a sense of scale. Van der Meer uses the structure of the landscape to explore themes of space and perspective. This interplay between the foreground and background invites us to contemplate the relationship between humanity and nature. The drawing isn't just a depiction of a landscape, but an exploration of how we perceive and structure our environment through art.