Het dorp Heesbeen bij Heusden, Noord Brabant 1761 - 1828

Joseph Adolf Schmetterling made this drawing of Heesbeen, a village near Heusden, in North Brabant. It's rendered in pen and brown ink, a humble set of materials that nonetheless allowed Schmetterling to capture the texture of the built environment. Look closely, and you'll notice how the artist varies his marks to describe the thatched roof, the timber siding of the barn, and the brickwork of the larger house and church. These are all made from materials sourced directly from the land, reflecting the agricultural context in which Schmetterling was working. Even the human figure in the boat, struggling to pull a load of reeds, emphasizes the hard work that was a daily reality for most people at this time. Schmetterling elevates these simple, honest materials, reminding us that craft and labor are at the heart of all human experience.