Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 10 recto c. 1876 - 1879

Anton Mauve created this chalk drawing, "Abklatsch van de krijttekening op pagina 10 recto," sometime in the 19th century, and it's now held at the Rijksmuseum. The work’s muted tones and minimal detail establish a sense of quietude. Mauve’s subtle rendering of form through a delicate interplay of light and shadow emphasizes the artwork's materiality. The composition is structured by the arrangement of sparse marks across the paper, leading the eye through a landscape defined more by suggestion than explicit detail. Considering Mauve’s engagement with the Hague School, one can appreciate how this drawing destabilizes traditional landscape art. Instead of detailed depictions, we have a focus on atmospheric effects achieved through chalk. The seemingly unfinished quality of the drawing challenges the viewer to complete the image mentally, engaging with the artwork. The emphasis on mark-making and the ethereal quality of the scene invite ongoing interpretation, reflecting the fluid nature of meaning in art.