Kasteel op een berg 1869

Johannes Tavenraat created this drawing, "Castle on a Mountain", using graphite and paper. It's a quick sketch, seemingly done on-site, capturing a moment in time with minimal materials. The nature of graphite as a medium lends itself to the creation of soft, muted tones, and allows for swift alterations. You can see the immediacy in Tavenraat's lines, the barest indication of form and shadow that imply the mass of the castle and the ruggedness of the landscape. The artist has used shading to describe the architectural form of the castle, but even more to suggest the natural, geological process which have formed the mountain itself. The sketchbook quality of the piece invites us to consider the artist's process – the directness of the hand, eye, and material coming together to record an observation. This intimate approach reminds us that art is as much about the act of making as it is about the final product.