Schets van een landschap met knotwilgen 1832 - 1897

Willem Roelofs made this pencil drawing, "Sketch of a Landscape with Pollard Willows", sometime in the 19th century. The composition divides the scene into three horizontal bands – sky, trees, and water – each rendered with subtle variations in tone and texture. The drawing’s restricted palette enhances its sense of space and evokes a serene, contemplative mood. Roelofs masterfully uses line to define form and space. The pollard willows in the middle ground are rendered with dense, scribbled lines, creating a sense of depth and mass. The horizontal lines in the sky contrast with the more chaotic and textured strokes of the trees. The reflections in the water, which serve as a mirror of the sky above, are rendered with delicate, horizontal strokes. Roelofs's drawing invites us to explore the relationship between nature and representation and underscores the structural elements of art. It emphasizes the interplay of space, line, and form, transforming the commonplace into the sublime.