The Village of Beekbergen in Winter (Main View)

Although Dutch statesman Constantijn Huygens the Younger's goal was to record his travels, this expressive drawing transcends the category of topographical rendering. Through judicious use of rough ink, jotted diagonal slashes, and paper's blank whiteness as both sky and ground, the amateur draftsman created a compelling record of a chilly, windblown day.

Huygens's drawings often accompanied descriptions in his diary. In typical fashion, Huygens recorded both this scene's location and the date on which he depicted it. Topographical landscapes were popular in seventeenth-century Holland, and drawing was considered an essential component of a humanist education.