Nursery on Schenkweg

Nursery on Schenkweg is a powerful drawing created by Vincent van Gogh in 1882 during his formative years in The Hague. This work utilizes a complex mixed-media technique, combining black chalk, graphite, and various inks applied by pen and brush to achieve dense tonal saturation. The artist further defined the composition and enhanced luminosity using white body color applied selectively across the laid paper, which bears the ED & CIE watermark. This rigorous technical approach demonstrates Gogh’s rapid development as a draftsman during a period when he intensely focused on mastering light and shadow.

Executed while Gogh was immersed in depicting the urban fringes and agricultural surroundings of The Hague, the drawing captures the view of newly planted Trees within the commercial nursery grounds on the Schenkweg road. Gogh renders the landscape with characteristic angular and vigorous line work, emphasizing the texture of the young saplings and the tilled earth. The dense layering of materials creates a highly dramatic, almost monumental effect, reflecting the artist’s interest in depicting natural forms with a profound sense of tactile immediacy and life.

This essential early piece is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it provides critical insight into the Dutch master's evolution prior to his extensive use of oil paint. Known for its strong contrasts and detailed technique, this drawing, formally known as Nursery on Schenkweg, remains a vital subject of study. Because many high-resolution images of the artwork are available in the public domain, the piece remains widely accessible globally, allowing for the creation of fine art prints and reproductions that showcase Gogh's early draftsmanship.