Landschap met koeien c. 1905

Willem de Zwart made this etching, *Landschap met koeien*, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century, using a monochromatic palette and a patient eye. The mark-making here feels gentle, almost hesitant, like the artist is feeling his way through the scene. The texture in this piece really grabs me; the way the light catches on the etched lines, creating a subtle sense of depth. Look at the trees, how they’re not just standing there, but seem to be breathing, rustling in the wind. The cows are rendered with a similar sense of life, their forms softened by the artist’s hand. The overall effect is one of quiet contemplation, as if de Zwart is inviting us to pause and appreciate the simple beauty of the Dutch countryside. It reminds me of Corot, or even some of the Barbizon school painters, artists who found poetry in the everyday. Art, like life, is an ongoing conversation, and pieces like this remind us of the enduring power of simple observation.