Huis op het platteland 1892 - 1940

Henri Verstijnen created this intimate ink drawing, "House in the Country," sometime before his death in 1940. Verstijnen, working in a rapidly changing world, presents a vision of rural life that feels both timeless and laden with the weight of history. Here, Verstijnen captures the essence of a rural dwelling, with its weathered facade and the surrounding untamed nature. The rustic architecture, framed by dense foliage and a brooding sky, evokes a sense of isolation and the raw simplicity of country existence. We might ask ourselves what it meant to depict this view of the countryside during a time of increasing urbanization and industrial growth. The drawing invites us to reflect on the lives of those who inhabited such spaces. How did gender roles play out within these walls? How did the labor and resources extracted from this land shape the community's identity? Verstijnen’s drawing reminds us of the complex and often obscured histories embedded in our landscapes.