Gezicht op Nijmegen en de Waal Possibly 1752 - 1756

Jan de Beijer made this view of Nijmegen and the Waal with pen in gray ink, and brush in gray watercolor. De Beijer specialized in topographical drawings, usually executed in the same materials. The limited tonal range, achieved through the layering of washes, is striking, as is the contrast between the precise pen work and the freer handling of the brush. It gives the image an understated, documentary quality – a ‘matter-of-factness.’ It’s as if the artist is interested in accurately capturing the scene without overly dramatizing it. Of course, making any image involves a great deal of choice. While De Beijer adopted a fairly conventional technique, he was at the same time part of an emerging culture of observation, recording the world around him. In doing so, he brought his own sensibility to bear, adding something intimate to the documentary impulse. This work is a reminder that even the most seemingly straightforward depictions are always filtered through a human lens.