Landscape with village 

Philips Koninck made this landscape with village, using pen and brown ink, sometime in the 17th century. Koninck's choice of materials—pen and ink—is deceptively simple. The fluid lines of the ink, controlled by the artist’s hand, create depth and texture. Look at the ink-work in the trees, and the thatched roofs of the village; these are not just representations of form, but impressions of material. The drawing captures the essence of the Dutch countryside, perhaps reflecting the economic and social realities of the time. The village, likely a farming community, suggests a society closely tied to the land. The labor-intensive nature of agriculture is subtly represented in the meticulous details of the landscape. Thinking about Koninck’s landscape through the lens of materials and making helps us appreciate the way he blurred the lines between observation and material expression.