Ein Bauernhaus im Walde, ein Mann steigt über den Zaun 

Pieter Pietersz. Barbiers made this drawing of a farmhouse in the woods with pencil and paper. The effect is immediate, using the directness of the medium. Barbiers was working at a time when industrialization was radically reshaping European life. Pencil drawings like this are made with graphite, which, since its discovery in the 16th century, became easily available. The graphite pencil allowed artists to rapidly sketch out ideas, and to capture fleeting impressions of the world around them. In this drawing, you can see the careful attention Barbiers paid to the textures of the wood, thatch, and foliage. The man climbing the fence is given as much care as the rendering of the farmhouse itself. The drawing speaks to the artist's familiarity with the rural landscape. It serves as a reminder of the deep connection between people, place, and material, and shows how drawing with graphite pencils can evoke the beauty of the natural world.