Gezicht op Huis ten Bosch 1811 - 1816

Robert Hills made this watercolor of Huis ten Bosch, or ‘House in the Wood’ as it’s also known, sometime in his lifetime, between 1769 and 1844. Hills was a master of watercolor, a medium beloved for its portability and capacity to capture subtle atmospheric effects. The quick-drying nature of watercolor allows for spontaneity, evident in the delicate washes and sketch-like quality of the vegetation, and the building’s façade. Unlike oil painting, watercolor demands a light touch, a kind of directness that makes the most of the paper support. This work reflects the cultural values of its time, when country estates were both places of leisure and sites of agricultural production. Hills’ choice of watercolor, rather than a more ‘serious’ medium like oil, also speaks to a particular social context – one in which direct observation and faithful rendering were highly prized. Appreciating the materials and techniques used, reminds us that even seemingly straightforward landscape painting is shaped by broader social and economic forces.