Landschap met een vrouw zittend tussen twee wilgen 1878 - 1938

This drawing, 'Landschap met een vrouw zittend tussen twee wilgen', was made by Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst, using ink or pencil on paper, sometime before 1938. Look at how the whole image is built from these delicate lines, as though he’s feeling his way through the scene. It's a reminder that artmaking is a process of discovery, not just a mechanical reproduction. I find myself drawn to the gnarled, knotty textures of the tree trunks that frame the view. See how the artist uses hatching and cross-hatching to create a sense of depth and volume? There's something almost sculptural about the way he renders the bark, like he's carving it out of the page. It’s like you could reach out and feel the rough texture of the tree. Looking at this drawing, I'm reminded of the work of Käthe Kollwitz, another artist who used drawing and printmaking to explore themes of nature and the human condition. Holst’s drawing reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation across time. The best art invites multiple interpretations, embracing ambiguity rather than prescribing fixed meanings.