Drie mensen op een weg met aan weerskanten bomen Possibly 1887

Elias Stark created this drawing titled "Three People on a Road with Trees on Both Sides" using pen and ink. Note the dominance of line and the restricted palette. The composition is structured by stark trees acting as vertical markers. Linear perspective guides our gaze to the figures along the road and a distant building which may destabilize our reading of nature, man and architecture. The reflections of the trees on the wet road create a semiotic exchange between reality and illusion. The trees and figures, rendered with an almost scientific precision, contrast with the sky depicted as a hazy wash, lacking detail. This juxtaposition makes us question our perception of form and absence. Stark explores how an artwork can communicate ideas about the natural world, and challenges fixed perspectives. The drawing invites us to find our own interpretation.