Landschap met figuren op een hooiwagen 1913 - 1917

Alexander Shilling made this landscape with figures on a hay wagon with graphite on paper. Look closely and you can see the energy of the marks and how they build this pastoral scene before your eyes. I can almost feel the movement of Shilling's hand, the scratching and the scribbling, the soft rubbing and the dark smudges. You can see how he's thinking about light, how the hay is in the sun, how the shadows fall in the trees. He's not labored or precious. Instead, there’s an immediacy and a certain kind of lightness. Look at the figures perched on top of the hay, like little birds. And that great bare tree, with its skeletal fingers reaching up to the sky. It's so alive, like the land itself. I’m always inspired when I see other artists embracing ambiguity and uncertainty in their work. This little sketch is no exception, and I will continue on my journey with Shilling in tow.