Vlak landschap met een bomengroep 1883 - 1922

This landscape sketch by Johanna van de Kamer looks like it was made with charcoal, maybe even a soft graphite stick, quickly capturing a stand of trees in a field. I imagine the artist outside, squinting, quickly trying to nail what she sees before the light changes. The drawing is pretty smudgy, and you can see where the charcoal is really built up, especially in the cluster of trees on the left. I’m thinking about how van de Kamer moved her hand, back and forth, trying to get the values just right. It’s cool how she uses the white of the paper to create the atmosphere. Other artists like Corot were also working in this tonal way. I think these artists teach each other so much, even across time, about how to see and then how to make. There are no mistakes, only happy accidents, as Bob Ross would say! Each mark builds on the last, creating a record of decisions and explorations, like a conversation between the artist, the landscape, and the charcoal itself.