Landscape with waterfall 

Franz Kobell rendered this drawing, Landscape with Waterfall, using pen and black ink, heightened with white body color, on paper. The careful gradation of light and shadow across the composition is immediately striking. Kobell masterfully employs chiaroscuro to model forms and create depth, guiding the viewer's eye through the tranquil scene. Notice how the trees are not merely representations of nature but structural elements, framing the waterfall and bodies of water. The composition invites contemplation on the relationship between nature and representation. Kobell's meticulous detailing of foliage, water, and sky suggests an interest in the sublime, and a sense of nature's overwhelming power. The drawing’s formal qualities – its balance of light and shadow, the strategic placement of its elements, and the artist's close attention to detail – invite us to consider how the drawing itself mediates our experience of nature.