Landschap, mogelijk met water 1909

Johan Antonie de Jonge made this landscape, possibly with water, with confident strokes of graphite. It looks like he worked quickly, trying to capture the essence of the scene. I sympathize with the artist—I wonder if the landscape was particularly evocative, or if he was simply trying to get the hang of working en plein air? Either way, there’s a beautiful balance between abstraction and representation in the work. The dark, horizontal hatching at the top defines the horizon line but also feels like an abstract mark. And then the water! It’s suggested with these light, rhythmic lines that could be waves or just the feeling of light reflecting off the surface. Artists are always in conversation with each other, borrowing and building upon ideas. It's like we're all adding our voices to this long, ongoing discussion. As viewers, we bring our own experiences and perspectives to the work, and in doing so, we become part of that conversation too.