View of castle Groenewoude, Roelant Roghman
Chalk, with brush on paper; roughly 14×19″ (35x49cm); in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
Roughman’s seemingly simple — but precise and deftly rendered — 17th century drawing is described on the Rijksmuseum’s site with chalk as the material and brush as the technique. I assume from the look of the toned areas that water was employed to smooth or smear the chalk into wash-like passages.
I love the way he has succinctly indicated the water with reflections; and the small touches that can almost go unnoticed — the figures on the bridge, the flock of birds in the middle distance and the ducks in the right foreground.
Roghman’s use of value contrast to set off the building to our left is particularly effective.
