Koeien in het water bij een molen 1876 - 1910

Alphonse Stengelin created this drawing, "Cows in the Water by a Mill," using pen and ink. The composition immediately draws your eye to the foreground, where two cows stand knee-deep in water, their forms rendered with a wiry precision. Stengelin’s technique employs dense hatching to define the volume and texture of the cows, contrasting with the smoother, more schematic treatment of the mill in the background. This contrast creates a sense of depth, drawing the viewer into the scene. The horizon line is subtly implied, suggesting a vast, flat landscape typical of the Dutch countryside. The restricted palette and the artist's mark-making emphasize the formal qualities of line and tone. The drawing challenges fixed meanings and engages with new ways of thinking about space, perception, and representation. The artist's ability to evoke a sense of place through a complex network of marks is a testament to the power of formal constraints to elicit broader cultural and philosophical understanding.