Boomstam zonder bast en alpenroos Possibly 1858 - 1859

This delicate pencil sketch, "Boomstam zonder bast en alpenroos," was created by Johannes Tavenraat. The very act of sketching, with its reliance on direct observation and hand-eye coordination, is a kind of labor. It is a process of translating the three-dimensional world onto a two-dimensional surface. The artwork, focusing on a tree trunk stripped of its bark and a rhododendron, highlights nature's raw textures. The pencil lines meticulously capture the tree's ruggedness, the alpine rose's softness, and the contrast between the living and the lifeless. The inscription "zonder bast" (without bark) adds to the tactile presence of the tree. Tavenraat’s rendering of these natural elements required a deep understanding of form and an attentiveness to detail. This attention to process, to the act of making and seeing, allows us to appreciate the artwork beyond its aesthetic qualities, revealing deeper connections to the material world and our perception of it.