Bomen langs een zandpad c. 1634 - 1635

Curator: I'm drawn to the sketch-like quality of this artwork. "Trees Along a Sandy Path," created around 1634-1635 by Gerard ter Borch the Younger. It is rendered with pencil and graphite. We can view this treasure in the Rijksmuseum's collection. Editor: It has an unassuming quality, doesn't it? Muted grays, very little contrast. Makes me think of early mornings and the particular hush of light just after dawn. The thin graphite lines form these tangled branches; they look frail, almost skeletal. Curator: Frail is a compelling word for it. The starkness in the simple medium and strokes lends itself to reveal its vulnerability. And yet, those gnarled branches are reaching, reaching! Is it perhaps more a tale of resilience, of grasping at life despite everything? Editor: Oh, I like that. Certainly, there’s something powerful in its persistence. Trees have always been such potent symbols – of life, knowledge, family lineage. In many cultures, they even connect the earth to the heavens, and looking at this humble pencil sketch, there's something profound captured in those reaching lines. Ter Borch gives a weight that seems to belie its materials. It's a trick. Curator: Ter Borch was masterful with such tricks, particularly in portraiture. And in this landscape we are given a sense of the immediacy and quiet reflection. Its simplicity and lack of embellishment is part of the art; it almost dares us to look closer and wonder more. How the barest of tools allows Borch to communicate with his viewer. Editor: It's true. This reminds us that images are never just images, they are repositories for our collective experiences, feelings, and longings. It has stirred up this odd mix of feelings from frailty to endurance. That makes for such a haunting work! Curator: A tiny artwork with outsized impact! This unassuming graphite drawing contains a subtle intensity, a stillness that stays with you, isn't it wonderful?