Vervallen schuur bij een boom 1745 - 1813

Jacob van der Smissen created this drawing, "Vervallen schuur bij een boom," using pen in grey ink, sometime in the 18th century. The immediate impression is one of structural decay, yet there's a composed harmony in the scene. Notice how the artist uses line and shadow to create depth and texture. The dilapidated barn is rendered with precise strokes, which define its crumbling structure. Juxtapose this with the soft, almost ethereal treatment of the distant landscape, where a faint windmill suggests the presence of civilization, yet is secondary to the dominating barn and tree. Van der Smissen plays with the semiotics of space. The broken-down structure, firmly rooted in the foreground, is offset against a boundless sky. This contrast may reflect contemporary views on the relationship between humanity and nature, where signs of decay exist alongside enduring natural elements. The drawing invites us to reflect on time, impermanence, and the dialectic between ruin and nature. Its aesthetic lies not just in what is shown, but in how these elements together evoke broader cultural and philosophical themes.