Twee figuren in de duinen 1908

Alexander Shilling made this drawing of two figures in the dunes in 1908, using graphite on paper. There's a real urgency to this drawing; the marks are all directional, almost like rain, giving the whole scene a kind of kinetic energy. The landscape is built up out of these marks, and it feels like the artist is trying to capture the feeling of being in this place rather than just representing what it looks like. I love the way the graphite is used to create depth and shadow, especially in the dunes themselves. The figures are almost swallowed up by the landscape, which gives you a sense of the scale of the dunes and the power of nature. It reminds me a bit of some of Rodin's drawings, where the line is used to create form and volume, but here Shilling’s use of line feels more raw and immediate.