Sheep Ditch (Der Schafgraben)

About this work

This sketch shows a quiet countryside scene with a stone wall, trees, and a small church in the background. In the foreground, two people are bending over a ditch filled with water, likely checking or moving something. The artist used loose, sketchy lines to show the texture of the grass, trees, and buildings. The dry, scratchy look comes from the etching technique—tiny grooves in the metal plate hold ink to create the lines. This style makes the scene feel rough and real, like a quick sketch. Next, look up etching, drypoint to see how artists make prints like this.