Schets van een landschap 1886

Jan Toorop created this landscape sketch with pencil on paper. The composition of the sketch is striking in its simplicity and abstraction. Notice how Toorop reduces the landscape to a series of horizontal lines, stacked one above the other, to create a sense of depth and space. These lines, varying in thickness and intensity, form the basic structure of the landscape. On the left, a cluster of diagonal lines adds a dynamic element to the otherwise static composition, perhaps representing trees or foliage swaying in the wind. The overall effect is one of sparseness and reduction, paring down the landscape to its bare essentials. The sketch reveals Toorop's interest in capturing the underlying structure of the landscape, focusing on form and line. Toorop invites us to contemplate the essential elements of the natural world.