The Ruin of Huis 't Sant at Katwijk aan Zee
1647
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1647
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a crumbling brick tower standing alone on a sandy dune, waves lapping at its base. Roghman walked the whole Netherlands on foot to draw these ruins right after a long war. He didn’t fix them in his mind—he drew what was left, then added the wind and sea later. The paper is big, almost like a small painting, so the ruin feels close. If you like quiet, half-finished places, look up the technique called *sfumato*.
