Oude wilg voor een weide met bomen 1897

This drawing, "Oude wilg voor een weide met bomen," was created by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst. It presents a landscape dominated by the imposing form of an old willow tree rendered in graphite. The tree's rough texture and solid form contrasts with the softer, more atmospheric treatment of the meadow and trees in the background. The composition directs our gaze through the archway of the willow's trunk, framing the distant pasture. The artist used line and shading to create depth, yet the foreground and background seem to exist on different planes, challenging traditional perspective. Holst destabilizes conventional landscape art by emphasizing the materiality of the tree, making it a strong, almost abstract presence. The drawing invites contemplation on nature's power. The willow's imposing form and the semiotic contrast between its texture and the background’s atmosphere highlight the symbolic dialogue between decay and the continuity of life. This tension invites us to question fixed meanings.