The artwork, “The Fish Drying Barn at Scheveningen,” created circa 1882 by Vincent van Gogh, is a detailed pencil sketch on paper, falling under the Realism art movement. This particular piece, categorised as a sketch and study, was completed in The Hague, Netherlands, and is currently held in a private collection.
In the artwork, Vincent van Gogh skillfully employs pencil on paper to depict a serene yet industrious coastal scene. The central focus is on an arrangement of rustic structures, including barns and wooden fences, which are prominently featured along with drying fishing nets and barrels. These elements, rendered in meticulous detail, evoke a sense of daily life and labor at Scheveningen. The composition is characterised by its subtle interplay of light and shadow, bringing a three-dimensional depth to the scene. The arrangement of objects and the perspective used by Van Gogh guide the viewer’s eye through the foreground, mid-ground, and background, encapsulating the essence of the setting in one harmonious sketch.
