Bos 1909

Simon Moulijn made this black chalk and graphite drawing of trees sometime in his lifetime. I can imagine him outside, charcoal in hand, translating the overwhelming sensation of being in the woods. Look at the way he renders the shadows of the leaves. They’re like individual dark marks dancing together. He’s not trying to trick us into seeing a real forest. Instead, he’s showing us how he sees and feels the forest. What’s the difference? That distant narrow tree trunk is perfectly placed to draw the eye into the middle distance. I see the influence of the Hague School painters here, but with a touch of something else, perhaps a hint of Symbolism in the slightly eerie light. Painters have always looked to each other, and I think it's comforting to know we're all part of the same messy, beautiful conversation across time.